I'll Look After You
by BWjournal
Summary: Who can they trust when their secret might be exposed? Maybe this was the best that could ever happen. Post-Ep from Castle 5x04 "Murder He Wrote" Now, rated M.
1. Chapter 1: Son of a

_"Son of a…"_

* * *

What is he going to do with this? He thinks, as he splashes some water on his face. The lights in the men's room flicker and there's definitely an odd smell coming from one of the lockers. He braces to the edges of the sink. A huff comes out. What does he do with all of this?

He dries his hands and pats the pocket of his blazer. The feel of the memory card reminding him what he has just discovered. He almost feels dizzy with the adrenaline that still pumps through his veins; the rush of the hunt, the unexpectedness of the reveal. But he's got them. He nailed them.

This investigation definitely did not turn out as he had imagined. Friday afternoon he had set himself up for some fun poaching. Beckett's secret boyfriend mystery was just a fun entertainment on a slow weekend. And… this just meant that Javier and him were back to their usual banter, and he was relieved that the air seemed lighter now.

As Det. Ryan stares at himself in the mirror, realization comes. Esposito doesn't know about this, neither does Lanie. He can't imagine that Capt. Gates would overlook something like this. It was just such a lucky break that he would find the answer to their scavenger hunt in the most unexpected of places.

But then, it's all there, in the recording from his cross-examination with Lerner. And he cant let that piece of information be there, out for people to see and listen to. He's their partner too, and what kind of partner would he be if he didn't protect them from screwing themselves over?

It still didn't placate the burning need to share this with someone. He checked himself in the mirror again, and then it hit him.

Richard Castle had finally gotten the girl. Kate Beckett had finally let herself be swept away. They had finally seen what everyone else had for years. He couldn't control the goofy grin that spread on his face.

He didn't care that he had to make the memory card mysteriously disappear. He had the signed affidavit from Lerner, and his lawyer and the ADA were already handling the deal that he struck with them. It would be enough to build the case for the trial and he can always blame it on a software malfunction. Yeah, he'll be alright.

He'll protect them, … but that doesn't mean that he won't have a little fun with this. They think they're so sly.

He goes back to his desk and dials the number for the Hamptons' PD. The accounts of his discoveries will be of use for them to close the case.

"Oh, well that's a relief." This chief is such a joke, he thinks. But then again, what it would be to live in a place that the most interesting thing to that day, or his week… hell, his whole career, had been that one single killing.

"Yeah. I think it shouldn't be too hard for you guys to track the local dealer."

"Yeah. I'll get my deputy right on it." This guy owed them big time. "I don't know what I would have done without your guys' help."

"Oh well, always great to help fellow law enforcers." Ryan says leaning back on his chair. "Say, it's very lucky that Mr. Castle was there to guide you through. All the details he pulled and prevented you from overlooking. The ME report and ballistics. I guess he must have learned a lot from following Det. Beckett." He wonders if Brady will slip a comment.

"Oh yeah…" Hmm, he can sense the hesitation. This guy knows. This would be so much easier if he had him in interrogation, he thinks. "Mr. Castle has been of tremendous help." Brady continues. "I'm sure that writing those Nikki Heat novels have made him a detective on its own."

"It's always better to work in couples, I gather." Ryan is fishing, he knows. He also wonders if this guy is onto him. "You should meet the real deal. She's a lot more kickass."

"Erm… yeah." Another pause on the other end of the line. "It was great to have them – I mean him… work… with me." The sudden correction makes him stutter. "Det. Ryan, thanks for your help, I have to go regroup with my guys but you should make it here sometime."

"Yeah, sometime." The chief hangs up, rushed and kind of nervous. Ryan figures they must had made a deal with him, other wise he would have mentioned her, and they're definitely making an effort to hide this.

He wants to go home. Jenny is the only person that he can trust with this. But he has to play it cool.

"Get through this day, Ryan." He mutters to himself as he brings up his game of Mafia Wars on his computer. He has to seem to others as if he didn't just find out the real identity of the tooth fairy.

God. He can't even concentrate on the fact that Malcolm from Vice is beating him in this last mission in El Cairo. He dwells for two and a half hours, between signing mileage sheets and checking his email constantly, getting nothing more than offers from the local hardware store.

He pats his pocket again. The card is still there. He gets paranoid for a split second. Looks around him. Nope, everyone is pretty much oblivious, focused in things that are in the grand scheme a lot larger and important than the secret that's burning him. He has to stop being such a girl.

He imagines the day that Gates finds out and an instant pain in his stomach warns him that it won't be a pleasant experience. Good thing she's not there today, because by now she would have read all over his face that he's either hiding something, or having the worst case of constipation.

"Fuck this," he thinks. If he's going to fake any sense of normalcy then he knows the next step.

He takes a deep breath and dials Castle's cellphone. He has to keep it together and not giggle like a highschooler, even though all he wants to do is tease him to death, and do his own version of the phrase "I know what you did last summer"… or who he did.

He informs him of the latest, keeps it to shop talk. The case well underway, all the T's on their way to being crossed, the local drug dealer tip bringing the mystery to a fast resolve.

"Oh, that's a great theory," Castle says through the phone. "Nice Work!"

"Oh, thanks but is not my theory," Ryan can feel the smirk growing. Keep it together. "Aaron Lerner gave it up when I interrogated him this morning."

There's a sudden silence on the other end of the line.

"Aaron Lerner…? Err… Ah… So… you interrogated Aaron Lerner too…" Castle stumbles, his voice suddenly sporting some masked hesitation. Ryan can just imagine his caught-in-the act face.

"Yeah… he's back in the city." Ryan… keep it nonchalant, he warns himself. "Turns out he was Franklin's partner in crime."

"Wow," all of a sudden the writer is not so much of a words man. "What do you know?" And then Ryan hears some hushed words on the other end. He bites down his own laugh and imagines the scene: Beckett must have heard through the speakerphone; Beckett must be having a heart attack.

"Are you still there, Castle?" He taunts.

"Yeah… still here…" The author says. Ryan can hear him masking his shock. "What did Aaron Lerner say? Did he say anything else about… 'Anything Else'?

And he has to give it to Castle; had the situation been reversed, he'd probably been a lot more aggressive, cut the crap. But this is like playing poker, 'Show me yours, and I'll show you mine'.

"Ah, you know, the usual…" Ryan continues, he will play this game. "I didn't do it. You've got the wrong guy… I'm pretty sure he told me everything he knows." This is too amusing.

"…Everything? Hah…" Castle swallows hard on the other end. "That's good."

"Yeah…" That's enough, Ryan thinks. Castle will be mulling over that one and Beckett will probably skin him. "Good luck with the writing." He says resuming the charade and hanging up before he gives Castle any other reason to have a stroke. Your cover's been blown. Who do they think they're fooling?

Well yeah… they fooled him. They're keeping this so close to the vest. And this is so important. Four years of this dance, finally materializing even though it was so clear from the moment that Castle had stepped foot into the 12th. He's been crazy about Beckett, and who could blame him?

Not only is she one of the women he admires the most, but also someone that has deserved to finally find that person. It often broke his heart when he saw them miss those opportunities, those moments where he wished things were simpler than the frequent life or death situations they faced; moments where they fooled themselves into believing they would find what they already had, but in other people. Always denying what was right in front of them.

But now, things had changed. Pieces of those puzzles had come to rest in the places they would fit for now. That dance was over and they were allowing themselves to live past all the grudges they'd held.

He finds himself still deep in thought when Esposito comes back; the realization of this new part of his friends' lives dawning on him. His partner did not find any clues to what he already knows and has been his object of reflection all afternoon. He can't share this yet. Esposito won't understand it, yet. And he'd rather bow out of this game, and go out for beers. He's not giving up on being a detective, but he'll take the hazing from Esposito more than gladly.

He'll fake it a bit more and take it to the one person that he knows will not judge him and will embrace the things that he cannot explain.

* * *

"Oh My God! Oh My God! Oh My God! Oh My God!" Jenny jumps up and down on their bed, landing on the colorful pillows that lay scattered on top of the plush comforter, holding the player in her hands.

"Shhh, Jenny!" He wants to laugh; he knew she would react this way, the excitement that all these lovey dovey issues bring to her. "You're going to wake up the neighbors." He snatches the device from her hand, finishes changing into his pajama bottoms and joins her in bed.

"But, how? I mean, they –- have you – What did Javier say?" Jenny continues, excited while pulling back the covers.

He takes a minute and lets out a sigh. "I haven't told him."

"Wait, why?" He understands her surprise. Any other time, and had his partner been at the precinct, he couldn't have been able to hide it from him. His surprise was too great, written all over his face.

He doesn't think that he has been this surprised over anything before, a mix of happiness and exhilaration… maybe he does have a lot more of Jenny in him than he's wiling to admit.

But Javier wasn't there. He had rushed into the observation room, taken the card and rushed out. He's gotta apologize to that new intern for tripping him and making him drop all those files all over the floor.

"I just…" He relaxes against their headboard and pulls his wife into a warm hug. "You know how I took my time to introduce you to them?"

"Yes." She replies with a lovely smile; the early times of their courtship all a cherished memory.

"I think that deep down, I feel I should give them that luxury." Ryan continues. He had taken his time to bring her into his world. They had time to sail through their insecurities, their mistakes, and their quirks. He had the time to tell her all about his family and then his work family, how much they all meant to him, how they all had each other's backs, how even in the scary world they all navigated, he'd be safe because of them.

"But you guys already know each other, you already know that they are each others'… perfect… regardless of all the silly things that have… you know, gotten in the way." The woman sports a dreamy expression that bathes all her features. She's such a romantic, he thinks.

"Do you remember how perfect it was when I would come and pick you up at your job those first few weeks?" He says as he traces the little flowers that adorn her nightgown.

"Yeah. You were always blushing while holding my bag of donut holes." She says with a shy giggle, her hand joining his.

"So were you, sugar addict!" He kisses her and plays with the strands of hair that escape her loose bun. "And what I liked the most were all those things that became only ours…"

"Like the honey milk?" She jokes and they laugh. A lot of grief and pranks have been given about their ridiculous ritual. He hates that he lost a bit of face to his work partner, but he's also brave enough to embrace the things he knows he enjoys. No matter how unmanly they may seem.

"That's exactly it." He says. "Castle and Beckett have their quirks… you should see them. And it makes me laugh, because they get on each other's nerves and they can't stop from completing each other's sentences, it's sickening sometimes… but we had lately come to the conclusion that this was just going to be a platonic relationship. They never seemed to be in the same page. Always missing the chance."

"And that's why you didn't think Richard could be one of the 'suspects'?" She says repressing a laugh.

"I think we got tired of it never happening. We lost hope, I guess." But it had finally happened.

"So why won't you tell Javier?" He can sense the concern in her words.

"Don't get me wrong. Javi is my partner. But I'm also theirs." He continues. "They've always been there, exposed to us, regardless of how much they think they cover up their feelings. Everything that has happened to Beckett, her mom's case, her fights with Castle, their ups and downs. The danger they've been in. Seeing the other with other people... god, that was painful to watch." He pulls her tighter to him. "Whatever has happened to them, we've always been witnesses to it. They know and we know what they are as partners, but do they know what they are right now?"

She sighs, and he senses the shift in her. Understanding.

"Things will come to light soon enough, when they're ready to let us be part of it. Who am I to expose them once again?"

"Oh, Kevin Ryan…" Jenny turns to him and kisses him softly. "You're such a noble man."

"I think trust is the least I can give them, as their partner." He smiles serene to his wife. "I'll eventually figure out a way to coax Javi into finding it out for himself."

"He's going to kick your ass… again." She snickers.

"Excuse me, no ass of mine was kicked at any point." He replies with feigned offense.

"Sure. And all those fights between you guys were just friendly hazing…" She rolls her eyes. He tickles her and catches her lips. Its a playful kiss, sweet like everything she is.

"I've gotten used to them by now. What's another one for the books?" He says pulling away from the kiss, and he means it. He doesn't really care when it comes to taking the blunt of the consequences of their actions. Most of the time, they are worthy sacrifices.

"So, you're not going to say anything to Castle or Beckett?" Jenny has a point. Will he? Will he share his knowledge and just let them know that they ought to be more careful?

"Hmm." A smirk grows on his lips and he looks at her. He might care, but he can't fight the other side of him that knows this would be amusing. "Well... I'm not. But that doesn't mean I can't get creative."

"Kevin!" She turns to him, feigned indignation on her face. "You just told me that you were going to be respectful of their secret!"

"I am!" He tries to dodge the weak punches she's throwing his way. "The fact of the matter is that I know this, and I can look out for them. So I need to let them know I'm watching their backs…I'm just going to have a little fun with it."

"What are you planning?" She throws him a look.

"Oh you'll see. They think they're so sly."

"They did fool you guys…" she says, an amused eyebrow quirking at him.

"Only because we didn't have our A game on." He says seductively, caressing her. He loves this banter with his girl.

"Sure, sure." She says mid giggle.

"You'll see. It's going to be great." They turn off the lights on their nightstands; settle back under the covers, relaxing into each other, and content in their embrace.

"Do you think that he already picked a ring?" She says suddenly.

"Oh, I'm sure." He nuzzles her neck and smiles. "He probably made the hot air balloon reservation by now as well."

Tomorrow… he's going to have fun.

* * *

**A/N: This one is very different to me, I've never written or read a Ryan-centric story before, and while I don't plan this one to be completely centered on him, his voice was the one that opened this story and will be very present through out. It couldn't have been any other way. Plus how fantastic was Seamus Dever in "Murder He Wrote"? You first think that he's just a duck, following Esposito around, but he's so much more. I love his character and I thought that this was a perfect opportunity for me to try to honor what a great guy I think he is.**

**I'm T-rating it for now, it might have some M parts coming up, but this is pretty safe for the next couple of chapters. I hope you stick around for this one. I plan to be done with it before "Probable Cause" airs. Just something to occupy my time while the 2-week break happens. I know some of you asked me to write one inspired on 505 but I can't. I'm not touching it, not even with a 10-foot pole. Maybe a Post-Ep, we'll see what my time allows!**

**As always, thanks to Ky, my partner in crime, for being a fantastic beta.**

**And PLEASE leave me a review, I want to know what you think, even if it is just a smiley face or a scolding, go ahead and let me know.  
**


	2. Chapter 2: Message No 1

_"Message No. 1"_

* * *

Ryan parked at the precinct around 7am. The place was a little deserted, only a few patrol cars all ready for the start of the week. He walked down the street for some fresh coffee; they had gone through the rest of their last bag of dark roast during the weekend.

His phone chirps. It's Esposito. He'll be skipping their early morning meet. He got himself "occupied" making amends with Lanie until late… Oh, these two are not fooling anyone either.

"Hi, Detective Ryan!" A smiley Holly, the cashier at the corner café, meets him; he doesn't come often, but the woman has a great memory.

"Hey there, happy Monday!" He says, a bit of sarcasm in his greet.

"Would you like breakfast today? A bearclaw? A donut?"

"Ha. Ha. I see what you did there. Nah. I think I'll do with a large dark roast latte." He waits while the woman rings up his purchase and hands the carton cup to the barista.

"You're early for duty, important case in the works?" She says, keeping the conversation going. If she only knew.

"Yeah," Ryan scratches his head. "Very. How about you guys? Crazy Monday rush?"

"Not so much. A lot of people have been trying out the new bakery down the street. With less people it's gonna be hard to make those tips." She smiles, bittersweet. "You know, we got all kinds of new stuff. Look!" She produces a large sized coffee travel cup; very similar to the ones that Castle and Beckett carry around when they're out on the field.

"They have our logo, and they keep the warmth… and the thing with these ones is that you can write on them! Pretty nifty, right?" Ryan takes the cup from her. Maybe he ought to have one of these too. "And for every one that I sell, I get 20%. What do you say? Help me out?"

Then it hits him. He doesn't really take that much coffee out, but he does know of two people that have a very strong addiction.

"Tell you what. Can I make a deal with you?" Ryan starts. "Do you have a minute?"

She's intrigued and signals the barista to cover her. He grabs his coffee and walks to the side. The plan forms easily on his head. Maybe he will make his own game.

"I have this idea…" Ryan says taking a sip of his coffee. Damn, it's a bit too hot. "If I were to give you a little something for your help," he continues. "Do you think that you would be up for it?"

"It depends… What am I getting myself into?" The girl looks at him suspiciously.

"I promise. You're going to enjoy it." He can tell that she will.

* * *

They had gotten up at 4am after little sleep. Well… it was more like a catnap that only let them rest their spent bodies for just a bit. It had been a lovely night, and she surprised him in so many ways. But the Beckett sitting by his side right now, trapped on the last leg of a laggy four hour long trip, was not the picture of a sweet and adoring girlfriend. They should have thought this through, getting into Manhattan on a Monday morning was a test to everyone's patience.

She is on the edge. Now that they were back, they would have to be extra careful to not arise any suspicions. He suspected that Ryan knew more than he would tell, but they had no idea as to what they were going to face when they first walked into the precinct. Had he told Esposito? Had they told Lanie? Will they tease them mercilessly until they broke their cover? They surely knew what was at stake here.

"Castle, I need coffee, NOW." She says, pushing her fingers to her temples.

"We're almost there. I'll park, you'll come in and then I'll follow with our coffees." He says swerving in and out of the morning Manhattan traffic. "Business as usual."

She let out a tired sulk and sunk a bit more on the leather seats. He grabs her hand and brings it to his lips. "It will be alright. We'll feel it out, and if anything comes up, we'll talk to them."

"But what if it is too late?" He can hear the dread in her voice. What if it's too late?

"These are our friends we're talking about; friends that know what would happen to us if Gates or anyone else were to discover what we're hiding." She's hanging onto every hope that he tries to infuse on his words. "They may be a bit hurt we didn't let them into the secret… But I'm sure they will understand."

"Sure…" She's not that positive about this and he knows. This is just a ticking bomb. They know that it's just matter of time until they have to come clean. There's only so many gimmicks they can come up with to satisfy their need of some sort of intimacy through the day.

"I'm sure their ego is more hurt about the fact that they didn't figure this one sooner." He states as Kate only gives a frustrated sigh. Castle turns into the parking structure a block away from the 12th.

He turns to her; he wants to ease her fears before she walks into the precinct stressed out and on the edge. Their cover is that she had gone for a relaxing weekend with this so-called boyfriend. She also needs to play the part.

"Look, if today is the day we have to deal with this, then we do." He strokes her cheek and fidgets with her bangs as she instinctively blows away the wisps that scatter at his touch. "We'll have to do it eventually." He kisses her hand again and exits the car.

"I just wanted this to be ours for a little longer," she says, a funny pout as he opens the door for her and hands to her the purse. She takes it as checks for onlookers. "Ours, no one else's. As much as it troubled me that we're lying to them." He can't help to be a little sad about that the exhilaration of this exclusive situation might no longer be possible. She leans her forehead on his chest. She's trying to calm herself down, this is what she does.

"No matter what happens," Castle says softly and reassuring while circling her waist and lifting up her chin to him. "This… will always be ours. No one can understand what goes on here…" he says touching his heart, "…and here." He finally says placing his hand on her heart and closing the gap between their faces, sealing this argument with a kiss.

She shivers against him. Foreheads touch and his hands ghost up and down her arms. She looks at him as if she's about to utter the most important phrase of her life…

"Get me my coffee, Castle. Before I start taking hostages." They will be alright.

He laughs against her cheek and brands one last kiss on her forehead; his hand sliding from her elbow to her palm, soft, caressing.

"Anything for my lady." He winks at her and she rolls her eyes. He kisses her hand and she walks away.

"Be there in 5." He shouts. They will be alright. They have to be alright. She waves from the distance as she disappears down the stairwell.

He better get that coffee with a double shot of espresso today.

* * *

Castle walks into the café. He hadn't thought to pack their traveler cups so disposable cups will have to do today. He needs to calm down as well, and the faces of all these people in line, waiting for their caffeine fix, make him ponder how many of them have their own freak out moments brewing in their brains.

He has mulled over these people's stories many times, concentrating over the soft ambient music; observation after all was his most important tool when it came to his craft. Each of them has a story on their own. How many of them were also going through personal hardship, happiness, and love; how many of them were still looking for what was it that they wanted out of life?

He is overdramatizing this. He needs to lighten up. He can't enhance Beckett's anxiety. He checks his phone, a message from Alexis. She's already back at her dorm. She'll laugh when he tells her how his plans for an uneventful weekend turned into an array of… surprises.

"Good morning, Richard!" Holly's voice wakes him from his trance.

"Hey, Holly!" He says, forcing himself into his usual charm. "How are you doing this fine Monday?"

"Already wishing it was Friday!" She says with a small laugh. "How about you? Had a fun weekend?" Says the woman, prompting light conversation.

"Yeah, I'd say so." He responds, absentmindedly. It was actually really fun; a new step forward. "I'll take my usual and two bear claws."

"Coming right up."

"I didn't bring my cups today so…"

"Oh, not a problem. I was actually going to treat you to a gift today." The woman sets a couple of new traveler cups to her side and reaches for the pastries into the glass display case. "Johnny let me have the Castle Special!" She requests to the barista, a cordial tone on her voice.

"You know," She starts, while placing the sweets in a box behind the counter. "You're one of our most loyal customers."

"Oh, how so?" Yeah, he knows he has a special by now. So many mornings of coffee bribery purchased with hopes of smiles and the chance of a stolen graze of Kate's fingers. "Is it because of my predictable caffeine dependency or just because I'm not going to set a foot on that new bakery down the street?"

"Ha! I see you already know about it," she says, setting the box on top of the counter and ringing the order in.

"A guy swinging a big foam loaf of bread, dressed like a ceramic coffee cup, is hard to miss." He says with a snicker.

"Well, its good to know that you won't cheat on us." The barista hands her back the cups, lids secured, all shiny and new.

"I would never!" He replies with mock indignation.

"And that's why you're getting these today." She grabs onto a cardboard tray and a marker from her register. "These are special cups, we just got them. Not only do they have our logo but, here: you can write on them. It's like our message in a bottle, well, a daily nod in a coffee cup," she states amused and scribbles on them.

This is nothing new, he thinks; writing on cups has become so ordinary and used. You write the order on them, you make jokes with song lyrics… if you're lucky you may get your name spelled right; how hard can it be to write Richard? That's the last time he buys coffee at the Starbucks on 42nd. Writing on a cup can even provoke situations like eliciting jokes with J.K. Rowling characters. He has to give it to them, though. Who ever thought of making a geeky joke and turning it mainstream is pretty fantastic. He doubts that when the British author brought the terrifying Voldemort to life, she'd anticipated that he'd end up being referenced in someone's morning latte.

"The real treat though," the cashier's voice brings him out of his literary coffee cup etiquette reverie, "is that so long as you bring them back every morning, you'll be getting your special for free and a little something; just because of your loyalty."

Castle is a little amused at his luck. "Really? You don't have to-"

"Oh, but I do." She winks at him and he fears that his flirty demeanor maybe has her thinking something else of his intentions. "No worries. And tell Detective Beckett about it. Her coffee will be free as well."

"Ok. You got yourself a deal." He concedes and hands her his ATM card to pay for the pastries but she waves him off.

"Like I said, it's taken care off," she says. He's still somewhat baffled at the unexpected courtesy, but takes the tray when she hands it to him. "Just make sure you take notice of the daily nod."

He walks away from the counter, making room for the other customers that must be already on the edge because of the extra time that they've taken on what should have been the methodical assembly line.

He sets the tray on the condiments counter and turns the cups to check the message. The first cup sports Kate's name with a small smile. The second one has his name on it, and then the message:

**WHEN IN DOUBT, ALWAYS PACK CHOCOLATE.**

"Huh?" He scratches his head. I guess that's a safe warning, he thinks, but not the flirty come on he was expecting. What she means by that beats him.

He exits the shop throwing a last glance at the woman. She's already moved onto the string of orders that come needy and fast. He'll have to figure it on his own. He can't help but admit he's mildly amused and curious.

He walks down to the precinct, running into familiar faces as he nears it. The scribble still nagging him, it's a pretty generic advice; chocolate always makes things better. Yeah, he remembers how Alexis dives into a box of Godiva's for more than one reason. Hell, he's had to hide his own share sometimes to avoid his own mother stealing from him. These women.

As he exits the elevator, and walks to Beckett's desk, he takes a deep breath and sets on a relaxed expression. Sure, he'll have to partake in conversations about the happenings over the weekend, and fake the narration to Beckett as if she hadn't been part of it all, but he'll have to do it naturally.

"Wow, Castle," she says with a smile, but her eyes are telling another story. "Back on duty bright and early? I guess that's what breaking a case on your own will do to you." She's smirking at least.

"Of course." He meets her and hands her the cup. "I'm sure the boys already filled you in with my adventures over the weekend." He throws a glance at the two detectives sipping their own cups nearby.

"Yeah, apparently you decided that instead of writing, you'd impersonate Jessica Fletcher," she states, teasing. "What is it, Castle? Rook not enough for you anymore?"

"Oh, don't be fooled, Detective Beckett," he says, throwing her a look. She'd know that look, is the one he uses send secret messages to her. "I would never trade emulating Rook. He has a hot slutty investigator for a girlfriend."

"You'd also look ridiculous wearing Angela Lansbury's clothes," she says, pursing her lips and lifting a warning eyebrow. Oh, maybe he shouldn't have brought up that part of the comparison in their actual situation.

"I don't know, Beckett." Esposito joins in the banter. "I'd say Ricky boy here might be able to pull off the cardigans and the skirt," he teases, taking a sip from his ceramic mug.

"We're still waiting to see how you'd look in a dress," says Ryan, a taunting smirk on his face.

"If I recall, we won that bet." Castle interjects, proudly. "You guys should be the ones with shiny scalps and flowery print."

"Yo, bro. Keep dreaming," Esposito dismisses with a smug laugh. "So, Beckett… We know about Castle's shenanigans, but how about that romantic weekend of yours? Boyfriend treat you right?"

Castle takes a sip of his cup. "Yeah, Beckett. Is this guy all that and a bag of chips?"

"Oh yeah," she starts, a tinge of weariness and impatience in her voice. "He's about as good as it comes, and that's all you guys are going to get."

"Oh, come on!" Esposito won't let it go. "At least tell us, is he a badass? Tell me he's a badass and not some wimpy pretty boy you picked up at the courthouse."

"What makes you think he's a lawyer?" she says, mildly amused at Esposito's assumption.

"Well, you already had the detective, the special agent, the doctor…" Esposito enumerates. He's right, Castle thinks. She's had her garden variety of remarkable men. He wants to relish and beam with pride that he's the chosen one, but he'll save it for later. He beat all of them. "My theory is that this guy is a tailored law-muncher that crossed your path on a trial. Swooned you with legal mumbo jumbo and an Armani suit. I bet he doesn't even take off his tie."

"Well, you'd be mistaken," she corrects him. "He prefers sport coats."

"Aha!" Javier exclaims, nudging Ryan on the side. "She's beginning to crack, bro. Come on, Beckett. Give it up. Who's the guy?"

"See, I think Beckett would choose someone different this time, don't you think?" Castle proposes, joining in the interrogation. But she throws him another warning look. He must tread lightly at this game and find a way out fast. "Someone with charm, a gentleman… maybe an artist, investment banker, or oh, oh! …a loaded-old money, man of the world, with companies everywhere, who whisks her away to exotic places."

"Oh we're going corporate then?" She mocks, a little exasperated. "You're going at this as if I'm another murder case and he's the main suspect. Last time I checked, I was old enough to decide who I spent my private time with."

"Hey, Hey. We're just making sure you're not going to end up mixed in some dangerous funny business. Just looking out for you, girl." Esposito says with a wink. "What do you think, Ryan?" he says prompting his partner.

"I think… that she's right… and we probably have bodies by now that need murderers to match," the Irish detective says, sobering the mood.

"You're no fun, bro." Javier's expression is a little annoyed as he goes back to his desk.

"Good morning, detectives…" Captain Gates arrives at that moment and they scatter. "Writer…" she says with that disapproving tone that he's come to be familiar with. She's all business and charging directly at them.

"Mr. Castle. I hear that you had my department aid you with a weekend project," she says, her tone somewhat severe. He's already bracing for the woman's wrath.

"Well, I wouldn't say it was a voluntary assignment," he states, carefully.

"I'm going to settle in my office," she says walking towards her door. "I expect a full account of the events in five minutes." The tediousness of this woman's expectations and her skill to smell a lie will for sure test his ability to cover up Beckett's involvement in this case.

He turns to her; she's already sitting in her chair, checking her emails and taking notes. The previous banter has gotten to her by the annoyed expression on her face. He sits by her side and braces for impact.

"I know, I know," he whispers. " You're annoyed at me playing along. But they would be suspicious if I didn't."

"Sure, Castle." She's not having it.

"Oh, come on!" He quips and she shushes him.

"You don't have to play along," she says without even looking at him. God, she's pissed. "Don't provoke them, don't give them any ammo. 'A charming, artistic rich man,' really?" And now she looks at him. Her eyes burning through him. "You might as well just tell them that he also writes whenever he gets bored, while on a caffeine induced frenzy."

"You think I'm charming?" he whispers with a smile and winking at her.

"I think you're infuriating," she says turning to her computer and her coffee.

"That can be pretty attractive, too." Castle checks behind him, the boys are already deep into their computers. He reaches for her hand, lightly grazing the soft skin on the back. She purses her lips, still frustrated but throws him a softer side-glance.

"You don't get it, Castle," she starts, a cautious hush. "If Gates smells anything funny, she'll finally have reasons to throw you out and get me on probation, if not fired. We already suspect that Ryan knows, what if more details come out from Lerner's confession? This is why I didn't want to get involved in this case."

"We won't let that happen. I won't let that happen." He tries to calm her down, but he knows that they're skating on thin ice, regardless of the fact that she also couldn't step away from seeking justice. It was both their faults and both their addictions. "Trust me, it will be all on me. Chief Brady swore secrecy and you saw that Ryan didn't even make a comment. Maybe we were just reading too much into what he really knows. Don't freak out just yet."

She sustains his gaze for a moment and lets out a sigh. "If anything comes out, we're gonna have more than words."

"I love it when you promise punishment." He wants to lighten the mood. "As for Gates, I'll brave out the whip lashes."

She slouches a bit on her chair. He knows that this won't be easy but it's worth everything they've got.

"Drink your coffee," he says, trying to sound reassuring. He'll take it all for them, all the unfairness of the situation, all the misunderstandings that are bound to happen because people don't know what they're trying to build. He pushes the box with the bear claws to her. "Eat something, you get cranky when you're hungry."

She lets a smile slip from her lips and opens the box. He gets up, straightening, turning on his feet, ready to face the rap from the Captain.

"Oh, you got the chocolate ones. Thank god." She says taking a big bite, her eyes smiling in pleasure.

"Oh, I…" He's about to correct her but then he sees her enjoying the pastry with such delight. He stares at the cup he's still holding in his hand and the message that had seemed out of place. How could this be just a coincidence?

He leans in briefly, closer to her, settling his now empty cup and showing her the scribble on it. "I knew this would be that kind of morning."

He'll probably have to explain later, and he'll probably need an explanation himself, but he'll take credit for these lucky breaks where it comes to granting her this enjoyment. He'd be naïve if he took this as a random occurrence, and he plans to find out. A new mystery at play.

* * *

**A/N: Wow guys, thanks for all your reviews, I loved hearing from all of you. I hope I responded to all. Now, I know I said I wanted this to be from Ryan's perspective, and while this chapter doesn't have Ryan, next will.**

**I do have a note about Chapter 1. For some reason FFN keeps erasing Jenny's first dialogue. She's supposed to squee a string of "Oh My God's" while jumping on the bed. Think that she's probably the fangirl living vicariously through Kevin and all the stories of their own OTP. Any how, thought to clear that up!  
**

**As always, reviews are welcome, needed and great so I know what you guys want/need/think. Ky also beta-ed this one, so give her a warm hug whenever you see that grammar is properly enforced!  
**


	3. Chapter 3: I am yours and you are mine

"I'm sure that the Hamptons PD and Chief Brady are very thankful of the help that the NYPD has given them." Gates won't admit that he was instrumental when it came to solving the case. He did do a great job with Beckett by his side, but he can't let any of that come out. As the conversation winds down, he evaluates everything he's told the Captain; he's avoided any comment that would blow their cover. This woman, of all people, is the last one they want in on any suspicion.

"Yes. It was evident that they were in over their heads, not having had a case like this before." And Castle genuinely hopes that's the last murder that happens at the holiday retreat. He plans to enjoy many more visits to the house with Beckett, and he'll be damned if they get distracted by something like this once again.

"You know, Mr. Castle," she continues, leaning on her desk. "I know that you've been hanging with my detectives for quite some time now, and you've certainly put in the time to learn a thing or two from them..."

"Indeed, I'm very lucky to be learning from the best."

"Don't interrupt me." She replies, annoyed. Castle can't help to make a show of zipping his mouth shut, trying to soften the mood of the severe woman before him.

"Like I said, you may have the allowance to follow and write your books based on your fantasies with Detective Beckett, but don't go out thinking that you are free to dispose of this precinct's resources as you wish." The woman has to have the last word, as always. No matter that justice has been served. Damn the day he broke that doll.

"I- I would never, Captain." He replies, trying to set the record straight. "I think I was merely serving as a connection between two fellow police departments."

Gates grows silent, and Castle doesn't know if he's supposed to leave or wait for her next lash. She's examining him, and he wonders if she's calculating how much trouble it would be to shoot him and then have to explain her motivations. She sits down, her eyes trained on Castle.

"I'm curious, would you be writing another Nikki Heat book?" She asks and he's surprised at the shift on gears.

"Well, it depends on how _Frozen Heat_ does, but I think we can safely assume that there would be a request for new books." Castle responds and Gates nods her understanding.

"And, you'd need more 'research' for those to come to life…" She says, her tone a mix of weariness and exasperation.

"Research is indeed the food of my creation, my time spent learning from the team is invaluable when it comes to learn the intricacies of police work, the hunt for the suspect, the way –"

"Save it, Castle." She stops him mid speech. "We both know that you're not here because you need more imaginative ways to come up with 'interesting cases' for your books." She takes a pregnant pause, and Castle can't decide if he wants to extend the lie or just dodge this accusation gracefully.

"I wasn't lying when I said that I liked it." She starts again; her voice somewhat gentler. "You do have the talent, and the respect for what we do. Don't think I don't notice that. While you are indeed making a profit out of your time with us, you have also learned what makes a good cop, putting yourself in the line of fire."

He's a bit baffled at where this conversation seems to be going. He doesn't know how but he thinks that maybe, just maybe, Gates might be giving him another chance to make peace.

"I'm sure that you know that I don't have a habit of flaunting compliments left and right," she continues, "but I think the fair thing for me to do is to give credit when it is deserved. And regardless of me not liking some of your methods, you have indeed earned my respect."

"I thought, at the beginning, by the way you and Detective Beckett seem to carry each other, that your interest was not exactly what one would expect of those who seek justice," Gates continues and he steals a glance through the glass. Kate is standing in the bullpen, and their eyes meet for a microsecond, she's worried.

"…But I'm glad to know now that I was wrong. I'm glad to know that there's some truth to your fictional characters." Gates admittance grounds him. Yeah. He definitely did not expect this conversation to sway this way.

"Sir, I know that being a detective is not my job," he threads carefully, "and I would never dream of assuming that I have what it takes to be that brave, but I have to say that if I've earned some small recognition from you, it does mean a lot to me. Every day that I spend in this place is treasured."

"As it should." She replies, pensive. He wonders if maybe this woman is just trying to hide a remarkable touching person under her iron armor. She clears her throat and waves her hand to him. "Make sure that you also fill a narrative of the case for our records."

He takes his cue and starts his way to the door. He wonders if there will be a time when these conversations with her are not full of fear for the woman. It makes him miss Montgomery even more. He knows the man had ultimately lied to all of them, but the man that he was with them was almost a father figure to him. Whatever that means. But Gates does not believe in this kind of relationship. If anything, he might start to read her reactions as tough love. Caresses of barbwire.

* * *

Ryan has been standing by the coffee machine for the last ten minutes; he isn't hiding but he doesn't want to give them the opportunity of reading anything in his expression that could ruin his plans. Esposito joined him at some point and started blabbering and hazing him for not joining in the fun of getting on Beckett's nerves.

Castle has been in Gates' office for a while now, and he wonders if leaving him to brave the flames alone was such a good idea. He has to admit it though; it is actually hilarious how annoyed she is at him. It's as if she simply enjoys hating on him.

There's only so much that he can delay by playing with the knobs and switches of this machine, he thinks. He's going to have to find a way to save face. He already told Javier that he wanted to respect their partner's privacy, but he knew his partner. He won't stand down once an idea gets into his head… So the best way to divert the situation is to turn the cards… on him.

"So… this morning," he says, handing his friend a fresh cup of coffee, "did we wake up on stinky, cheap sheets or did we have the luck to enjoy Dr. Parish's fabric softener?"

Javier sips his coffee and throws him a smile and a glance over the rim of the cup. Kevin would describe that look as 'The Predator' look. If he were a girl, he'd be having hot flashes right now; but on him it has just the opposite effect. He finds Esposito's Latin lover antics to be a bit corny and outlandish, but that doesn't matter, Javier scorecard is not at all lacking.

"Let's just say that I took care of business," Esposito shares with a wink. "Things were smoothed over… and then some."

"I'll never want to be within reach of Lanie's wrath, I'm sure of that." Ryan knows that Lanie Parish is someone you don't want to cross, it's no wonder she and Beckett are best friends.

"Yeah, well, she wasn't mad when we took that shower this morning," Javier says with an eyebrow wiggle.

"I don't want to know," Ryan says and they both exit the break room.

"Hey, you're the one that brought it up." They return to their desks, Esposito's phone promptly ringing with what he expects will their first body of the week.

Ryan sees that Castle has finished his talk with Gates and he's already by Beckett's side. He doesn't look all that wounded, it must have been an easy one.

He has a clear view of the couple from his desk. To the untrained eye, it would seem like business as usual; other detectives coming and going with their own cases to solve, interns and beat cops handling paperwork or bringing suspects into one of the interrogation rooms. Bruce walks by the break room and says hello to the new archivist. The woman is in her 50s, he can already see how they will hit it off. But, he's trained on the detective and the writer's whispered conversation right across from his desk. If he wants to keep the plan moving along, he has to be quite observant.

It doesn't really matter if he doesn't get to hear their reaction to his plan; he knows it will have an effect on them. Every little message will have a purpose, and he's happy that Jenny is with him on this. He called her the minute he had settled the deal with Holly. Her reaction had been a mix of laughter and excitement. It is not often that he can include her in his life at the precinct and this is the perfect opportunity. They're a team as much as Beckett and Castle are, and everything he's learned comes from that, from allowing themselves to become part of each other's lives. Granted, his life and Jenny's have never been threatened by mob conspiracies, or crazy serial killers, well maybe his… but the wound had been more on his pride than anything else.

And he knows that Castle has already been around the block a few times, albeit his failed marriages are not showmanship of any emotional stability or maturity. Will this time be different? He's sure that they're both asking themselves the same thing. She's for sure not like any of the women he so casually described as deep-fried twinkies and money-thirsty femme fatales.

So he will observe.

Today's message was an easy one, just a taste to pique his interest. It was random at first, but he's glad that Holly also helped out. He'd told her as much as he could share without compromising their situation. His first choice had been lame, he has to admit, but Holly is a girl, and the minute that he mentioned that they would be coming in for coffee after driving from the Hamptons, she knew that Beckett would be a grump, no matter what. So it was an easy treat. Let Castle mull over what's to come. Unsuspecting at first, he thinks, but the following messages will hit home.

He's attacking this as a profiler; the idea becoming more and more attractive by the minute. He'll observe them, and hit the nail where it needs to be hit. Let them figure out the puzzle… and eventually, put them out of their misery. He knows that he'll eventually have to come clean. For now, he'll record every minute in his memory, share it with Jenny, and tomorrow there will be a new clue. They want to let them learn on their own, just like they did, but a little nudge can't hurt when it comes to them. He's tired of seeing them dance around what they want and being so afraid of losing what they don't have just yet. Fearing that jump.

Jenny pointed it out this morning while he shaved. Most likely what they have right now is a myriad of questions without answers. And those, they have to find for themselves.

They will just be the side commentary. He won't pretend to be the example to follow, but he will point out to those things that could relieve the pressure and reinforce their trust in the road ahead. He wishes that he could just go across the bullpen and just say, "It will be alright, you know?" but that would be too simple. He'll observe. He'll veer them off the situations where their cover could be blown, let them enjoy the bubble. And… he'll play with Castle's mind.

He probably will only have a few shots at this, so he has to make it worthwhile.

And so as he watches, he sees a couple of things that make him remember those moments when his own relationship with Jenny was something fairly new. They would take walks down to Battery Park, and she would be telling him all about her week, regardless of the fact that he had already heard it all, play by play, every night. He could only stare at her in awe, bringing her out of her inspired rant by grazing her forearm.

Across from him, Castle is deep into a hushed narration. She is totally mesmerized by him, and Ryan thinks it is so refreshing. She's happy. And he can't help but smile. He sees her reach over to the writer and quickly check that no one's watching and Ryan has to quickly look away. When he focuses again, she seems to be holding his hand and Castle is no longer talking.

He's smitten, alright.

"Yo, we got a drop at 34th & 5th," Esposito announces, getting up from his seat. "Lets go."

"Yeah." He responds, snapping out of his ponderings.

"Beckett, you in?" Esposito asks while they approach her desk. The previous moment that had transpired between the couple has evaporated now; Beckett is all business.

"Yeah, we'll meet you guys there," she says, gathering some of her things.

The pair of male detectives continues toward the elevators. Esposito is talking about some football nonsense from last night's game; he probably should be paying attention if he doesn't want to raise any suspicions with his absent-mindedness. He wills himself to remember and puts his head back into the day's work.

* * *

The boys leave and she sighs in relief. She doesn't know if Ryan is really onto them, but any chance she can get to not be under their examination will be welcomed. It breaks her heart that she has to lie to these people; this is her family and the fact that they're hiding this from them, while she knows it's necessary, makes her sick to her stomach.

"I'm exhausted," she says, the lack of sleep getting to her, making her feel hung over. "I wish we had asked for today as well."

She knows that he doesn't have to ask for vacation days; not being formal part of the department really does have its perks besides not having to fill out paperwork.

"I know," he admits, a resigned expression on his face. "But, it would have been suspicious if we both had the same days off."

She nods. At least Gates was showing signs of coming along. She wishes that the woman would cut them some slack, so that when the inevitable happens, when they have to admit that they're together, she may have the possibility of appealing to a less angry boss. She wishes the woman would be on their side. She wishes they weren't in this tricky situation.

Kate retrieves her keys from her purse and her gun from her drawer. Better not delay, she thinks. A case will distract them from the impending need they have to touch each other, to forget that people won't understand them.

"Ready to go?" she prompts with a weak smile.

"Actually, do you think I could pass on this one?" he says and she's surprised.

"Really?" Why would he bail on her right now? It certainly does not feel like him to pass on a drop.

"I'm just," he begins as they walk towards the elevator, "I'm really tired, too." They stand side by side for a few seconds, waiting while the elevator makes its way to the 4th floor; she doesn't look at him, she's considering going about this day without him. Granted they spent the whole weekend together but she can't get enough. She won't tell him flat out, but he needs him there.

The elevator doors open and the only occupants exit, leaving the space just for them. He punches the button to the basement; her car has been parked there since Friday. The box kicks into gear, descending slowly; she feels his warm hand grasp hers.

"Hey…" His voice is soft call, and when she meets his eyes she sees that look. That serene look he shared with her that night they started their very own way to say 'Until Tomorrow.'

This is a look she's never seen him use before, not on anyone, but her; and she can't help the giddiness that floods her at the thought that she makes him have these reactions, when his body speaks to her, when words cannot be pronounced. And even then, the language that he is speaking to her right now, she's not quite sure that it can be voiced. It's a look that burns through her, his eyes intense and honest, naked, making her more aware, as if every part of her can sense every nuance of meaning.

She comes closer and reaches behind him, flicking the stop lever. The box comes to a halt, and he's startled by the movement. She lifts her gaze to him and buries her face in his neck.

"Don't read anything into me not wanting to tag along today…" he says and she can feel his voice reverberating through her. "I'm just… spent. I wouldn't be any good to you falling asleep at a crime scene."

"But who's going to keep me awake while formulating outlandish theories?"

"I think I've brainwashed Ryan enough for him to do a good job at that," he responds with a smirk. "Scout the crime scene, get the facts. You only have to get the work started. And if everything else fails, you can always throw the case at the guys and come back tomorrow. I doubt that anyone would object if you're not feeling well."

She knows he's right, but what's bothering her is that she has reacted like this at the thought of not being with him. It dawns on her that he's become more vital for her than she's aware of. She can't become this woman, no matter how much she does need him. Maybe she's too tired; maybe she's being too sensitive about this.

"No. I have to go. Its not fair to the guys, they did spend the whole weekend working."

"So did we."

"Yeah, but in my case, they don't know that." She bites her lip; another item on the list of downsides to this arrangement.

He lifts her chin and runs both his hands through her hair, massaging her scalp. She closes her eyes; it feels so good, his strong fingers softly kneading the pressure away. She takes a deep breath and he's so close that she can smell his aftershave and a hint of the coffee he drank.

"It will be alright, Kate." He says, whispering against the skin of her forehead. And she lets him linger for just one more second, before she pulls him into a hungry but slow kiss that quickens her pulse. Just one more fix. His hands descend to ghost caresses on her back, healing, comforting. She breaks the kiss, she can feel her legs muscles quivering and she doesn't know if its part of her exhaustion or nerves.

"What if this is the last case that we could work together?"

He looks at her, his eyes searching her features but no words come out of his lips. She takes a deep breath and reaches again to let the elevator come back to life, punching the lobby button as well.

"Get off at the lobby," she says, straightening his collar. "I'll call you tonight."

They put some space between them, the elevator reaching the busy entrance of the building. He throws her one last look as he exits and winks calmly at her. She gives a small smile back.

This will be good. She will be fine and this will help dissipate rumors. She just needs to go about her business as usual.

She will be alright. They will be alright.

* * *

The yellow tape is already lined tightly by the time they arrive. The looky-loos are all around; peeking, asking questions to the beat cops that are trying to restrict the access to the crime scene. Being one of the busiest corners of Manhattan, it was only expected to have this amount of attention.

"Hey Jenkins, how's it hanging?" Ryan says casually, greeting the uniform that's guarding the entrance to the pharmacy, ducking under the tape.

"Can't complain." The young man replies to the detectives. "Dr. Parish just got here. All the way at the back, behind the counters," he says, directing them to where the action is taking place.

Ryan and Esposito make their way through the store, noticing signs along the way. The products from the shelves knocked over, the disarray getting more noticeable as the reach the space at the back of the pharmacy.

Two bodies lay on the floor. A man, well in his sixties and a young woman; both appear to be Duane Reade employees.

"What do we got?" Asks Esposito.

"I've just begun," Lanie leans over the old man's body. "By the looks of it, I'd say a nine millimeter. Two shots to the chest. Mr. Lorenzo probably died pretty quick."

"What about her?" Ryan inquires about the woman that lies on the floor, her white uniform almost unrecognizable, stained with so much blood.

"She has two shots to her abdomen and one to the neck," she says, still kneeling from her spot.

"Do we have any witnesses?" Javier asks to the patrol cop first on the scene.

"A couple of teenagers found them."

"Did they see anyone exit the place?" Javier continues examining the scene as he slaps on a pair of gloves.

The cop shakes his head. "They only noticed that something was wrong because the displays were tipped over and no one was at the register."

"Well, it isn't a Monday if you don't get a messy one." Ryan kneels next to the girl and notices the tag on her lapel. "Mandy." Her green eyes are still open, lifeless. Her curly strawberry blond hair sprawled on a pool of her own blood.

Esposito rummages through the paperwork on the desk: service orders, recipes, and other normal paperwork to be expected.

"Here we go," he says, finding a purse inside the drawer. "Mandy Scott, twenty-five, from Brooklyn. Money's still here though, and some jewelry."

"The cashier seems untouched too." Ryan notices, getting up and examining the machine on the counter. "Here's the business permit, for one Ramon Lorenzo."

Lanie opens the buttons of the man's white coat and feels for a wallet. Nothing is in the pockets of his Guayabera. "Help me turn him over," she says to her assistant that stands nearby.

"There," she says pulling out a bulky and battered leather wallet. Ryan grabs it from her.

"Yeah, same guy. Lives in Williamsburg." Ryan examines the wallet, the money still there as well, credit cards. This is no robbery. He hands it over to the assistant. "Bag that. We'll pick at it back at the station."

Lanie moves to examine Mandy's body. "She tried to put up a fight," she says holding the girls' hand, scratched and bruised. "Your perp should at least have some scratches, maybe we can find some DNA."

Ryan looks around him and notices the surveillance cameras aimed at the counters.

"We might have video of the attack," he says pointing at the devices. "Check the cashier at the entrance, see if the recorder is there," he says turning to one of the CSU technicians.

"Sorry, traffic was packed." Beckett says, striding into the site.

"Hey girl," Lanie greets her with a contained smile from her spot on the floor. "Where's Castle?"

"Oh, he had to go," the detective says, non-committal. "You know, tired from his drive from the Hamptons, plus Gates grilled him earlier because of his Nancy Drew stint with these two."

"So I heard," Lanie says with a sassy tone and throwing a look at Esposito and Ryan. Ryan knows that she might be referring to the Hamptons case, but it is also about them trying to figure out the identity of the mysterious boyfriend. It's in moments like this he gives thanks that his brothers taught him how to keep a poker face.

"Do you want me to give you the run down or will you get it from the boys?" Lanie continues.

"It's ok, I'll catch up," Beckett replies, taking interest in the woman's body. It might be true that Castle just wanted to go home, but it seems weird to be here without him. The team doesn't seem complete, and she can't remember when it was just the four of them.

"Hmm, this is interesting," says Esposito from behind the desk, still going through Mandy's purse. He's holding an open envelope. "Miss Scott was pregnant..." he says, pulling a sonogram picture from the white envelope.

"…And the shots were to the abdomen," Beckett completes. "Maybe someone did not agree with her pregnancy?"

"I can't tell you right now which shot came first," Lanie says. "You're going to have to wait 'til I get her out of the mess of these clothes."

"Get CSU to take plenty of pictures of the blood pool, take measurements," Beckett requests of Esposito.

"You think we could calculate what came first by the size?" Esposito cringes.

"Just look at her," Beckett ponders, fixated in the posture of the body. "I almost think that she sat here for a while before the shot to her neck even took place. That puddle is significantly smaller."

"Detective Ryan..." The CSU technician comes back from the storefront. "Found the recorder, it's turned off though."

Ryan and Esposito trade frustrated looks. Of course it would get complicated.

"So, there could be a couple of scenarios. Maybe whoever shot them was here for a while…" Ryan starts, trying to go back to Beckett's observation. "Depending on who got here first, and who got shot first."

Beckett turns to Ryan, interested. "Explain…"

"Well, say that she got here first. Say that she was the one that opened the store…" Ryan walks through the space as if he's retracing Mandy's steps. "The shooter could have followed her here, it's not a robber, but maybe an abusive boyfriend? They argue about her pregnancy, she wants to keep the baby; she fights him off, throwing off the displays. He won't have it and shoots her… then Mr. Lorenzo arrives, and the perp hides…" Ryan looks for a place to hide, walking behind Esposito by the desk at the back. "The old man sees Mandy on the floor…and…" Ryan is having trouble finding the next step, but Esposito comes in to continue.

"Lorenzo would try to call 911 or look for the first aid kit, the phone is here and so is the kit. If the shooter hid here, he would have seen him, blowing his cover…" Esposito formulates, discovery in his voice.

Kate gets up from her spot and joins him. "He would have pointed at him and Lorenzo would have tried to dissuade him, trying to spare his life, but he shoots him anyway…" Kate looks at the old man lying on the floor. "And then he finishes the job," she says pointing at Mandy's body. Kate smiles at Ryan and Esposito. "Maybe…"

"Or, maybe not," Lanie says, from Mandy's side.

"Got a better theory?" Ryan turns to her, curious, still high on their crime scene banter.

"Mandy's liver temperature is higher than Mr. Lorenzo's." she says. "Significantly higher. He died at least two hours before she did."

"Well that puts a downer on my theory," states Esposito, his tone light, trying to brush off his discouragement.

Kate is frustrated and Ryan can see it. Hands on her hips, jaw set, biting her lips.

"We're gonna have to wait for me to get her in the lab to confirm the order of the gunshots," Lanie informs, as she signals the coroner to start packing the bodies up. "I'll let you guys know if I find DNA or fibers on any of them."

"Who shot you?" Kate whispers, and Ryan can hear the tension bleed through her words.

"Let's talk to the teens that we are holding," informs Esposito, nodding at Ryan. "Maybe there's something there."

"You go, I'm gonna take a last canvas with CSU. I'll ride back with Beckett…" Ryan proposes. "…If that's fine with you?" he asks Kate, who's still fixated on the girl that's being laid on the body bag.

"Beckett?"

"Um, yeah, yeah," she responds. "Sure, no problem."

"Ok, bro." Esposito says, "See you back at the 12th."

Ryan takes a moment to go behind the desk again, instructing the CSUs where to take special care, where to go over with a fine toothcomb just in case they were to be right about their theory. Beckett checks her phone, and he thinks that she probably doesn't notice when let's a soft frustrated puff come out.

She walks around the scene, seeing how forensics takes their time to photograph everything, pick up the casings, dust the surfaces.

"Everything ok?" Ryan says, meeting her by the front cashier.

"Oh yeah," Beckett replies but then concedes. "I'm just frustrated that we don't have much to go on with this case. There's going to be so many fingerprints and fibers. So many people come by here."

"I know, but what's the rush, though?" he says; his tone is light. "This is not the first time we don't solve a case while still at the crime scene."

She's impatient, annoyed. "Yeah, but we usually have a couple of theories."

"Well, Castle isn't here. He'd be flaunting the CIA theory by now," he says, jokingly.

Beckett smiles weakly and nods. He has to admit this is not the first time he's seen her this way. The last time it had taken he and Esposito a lot of case file bribery to bring her out of her funk. There's something upsetting her about this moment, and he wonders if something went down between her and Castle after they left the precinct.

"It's just a slow start, you know?" he coaxes. "Let's wait to see what Lanie has to say, run those background checks, talk to the family… the usual."

And she smiles at him. He knows that she knows he's trying to draw her out.

"Yeah." They start towards the door and Kate's car parked out front.

* * *

Castle arrives at his loft, it's fairly early for lunch but he can't help but rummage through his fridge. Nothing is really appealing; he just wants to stare at it. Plus, all that his mother has allowed in his fridge doesn't necessarily scream 'eat me'. Ever since Beckett had made that joke in front of his family, both Alexis and his mother have started policing portions, calories, carbs, and all the _fun_ stuff.

He sighs and closes the door to find his mother staring back at him, sitting behind the counter, still in her pajamas.

"Mother!"

"Sorry, dear," she says half laughing. "What are you doing here midmorning?"

"This is my apartment, thought it'd be nice to visit."

"Fine, be a smartass," she complains. "Did you and Beckett get into a fight? Don't tell me that you went with your plan of not having a plan!?" Her mortified voice is almost amusing.

"No, Mother," he says, joining her behind the counter and leaning on his fists. "Believe me, I had every intention to disregard my 'no-plan'plan. The Universe though, couldn't be crueler."

The woman throws him a confused look. He might as well explain.

* * *

She sits in silence while they're stuck in traffic on the way back to the precinct. She starts to wonder if it wouldn't be wiser if everyone just moved around using the subway. 'Yeah, like that's going to happen in these heels.' She rolls her eyes at her own ridiculous idea.

Ryan had been telling some story about his last holiday with Jenny in the Poconos. She hadn't realized that not only he had finished the story about ten minutes ago, but she had also remained silent.

"I'm sorry, Ryan." She doesn't want to seem rude to the guy, but between being leery of what he knows and being dead tired, she can't navigate courtesy that easy. "I drifted off somewhere."

"That's okay, Beckett." He's so nice, always so accepting, she thinks. "Sometimes you need white noise to make a crack at a case." Maybe she's wrong to fear that he will blow their cover if he even knows anything. This feels so wrong. He was so open to admit to them that he had a girlfriend; even when they got that case, he had trusted them enough to share that Jenny had been in that dirty little black book.

"You're right," she says. "Maybe that's what I need, to think about this case outside of the precinct." Maybe Castle is right. She should just go home.

"We won't really have something solid from the victims until late this afternoon anyways," he agrees, and there's more silence between them. She doesn't know what to talk about without a theory to flesh out and she won't admit that all she wants to do is rush over to Castle's loft and curl into his sheets and fall asleep next to him. She doesn't even want sex. She needs to know that he's next to her. Ugh, here we go again. She can't do this. She won't be able to function with this level of attachment.

"Beckett, you're thinking so loud that I can hear the nagging all the way over here." She doesn't know how long its been but then she realizes they're almost in front of the precinct, stuck in another gridlock.

She takes a deep breath and gives it a shot.

"How do you manage to leave your house everyday?"

"What do you mean?" Ryan looks a little baffled at her question.

"I mean, knowing that… you know, you're everything that Jenny's got and we may that day, run into a dead end, with no escape, looking down the wrong end of a barrel?"

She doesn't know exactly where that came from, but she suddenly feels as if a knot she's been picking at has started to give.

"I just try not to think about that," he says, honesty in his voice. "For the longest time that was everything that my mother could think about; me not coming back that night. Especially during my first years."

She gets it; that was the same feeling she knows her dad went through.

"But then I tried to rationalize that while we're exposed, yes…" She listens as he continues, and she realizes that while they've been partners for years, they really haven't shot the breeze like this. "We could be equally unlucky to be victims ourselves. Of simple things, like a robbery… or a jealous girlfriend."

"At some point that fear transformed," he says, his tone somewhat a conclusion, "from being a one-sided fear to realizing that not only am I the only thing that Jenny has, but well… she's also the only thing I have. I know it sounds corny."

"Oh no, Ryan. Go on…"

"That's just it, Beckett. They might worry about something happening to you, but in my case, it's that the repercussions to that occurring would be that I wouldn't be there to look after them."

And that strikes a chord inside her. Like that knot came loose at last and she can see what is it that has been bothering her.

They turn into the garage at last; she drives up to the elevator entrance and not to her usual spot.

"I think I'm gonna go with my idea," she says to him. She needs out of the precinct today. She needs to try to make sense of what is now nagging and plucking at this old wound. "I'm going to go back out there, think outside the box for a while."

"Maybe you'll break the case," he says with a smile, and heads towards the bank of elevators.

Castle was right, _you are no good tired_. Only her fatigue, was of a different kind.

* * *

It takes a good chunk of the afternoon to explain the case to his mother, and what it brought to them; their moment in the precinct and how Gates' conversation had put things into perspective. He was beginning to understand why Kate was feeling this way, and not only just out of solidarity for her.

After Gates' words, while driving home, and not that it was completely necessary, the weight of the loyalty that he owed this family started to feel like a crushing pressure. He knows what she means, but he has to be strong for her.

"So what are you two planning on doing?"

As if it were that easy to plan when you don't know what could happen. For all he knows they might be making a storm in a glass of water. Oh that's clever, he thinks. He should have used it in one of Derrick's monologues. Too late now.

"We don't know mother. Right now, we're just settling back to play it cool. Until we can figure out if Ryan knows, and if he has told anyone else."

"This is just a ticking bomb, and you know it." He knows his mother is right but he'd be dammed if he didn't try. "Richard, you certainly have a knack for getting yourself into impossible situations."

"I know, Mother." He feels like he's had this conversation with her before, and he knows she might be crazy sometimes but there's wisdom that comes from behind her well lived years. "I'll just have to navigate it."

He starts toward his office, but Martha is not over.

"That might be where you're mistaken, dear." She closes the distance between them. "I know that you're fairly egoistical about certain things, but when it comes to Katherine Beckett, it's as if you don't matter."

"It's not like that, Mother."

"Oh but it is!" The woman raises her voice with a little tinge of impatience. "Aren't you afraid as well?"

He won't even admit it to himself. He knows that her work is so important to her. And he's seen how at the possibility of not having it anymore she fades, and this is all she's known for so long. He knows they're more important than a job, but not when the situations are especially grey, like this one.

They chose to be with each other, and tear down walls…

"Kate needs you to be there for her but she also needs you to give value to your own wounds, your own worries, even when they're not caused by her. Stop pretending that you have no fear. You can't continue through life thinking that walking over that fear it will make it go away. You have to understand it… and sometimes, well, sometimes all we need a good, ugly cry."

She comes to him and gives him a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

"I know you guys are still finding yourselves, but let her choose to carry the weight once in a while. You'd think you'd have learned by now."

He gives her a tight-lipped smile and sees her leave the room. As much as he'd like to avoid it, maybe they do need to figure out what is it that paralyzes them.

* * *

When she arrives at her apartment its already dusk. She took her time, wandering around until she could no longer stand the rhythm of the city around her. Her things exactly where she left them, and where he left them. In the past few weeks both their spaces have morphed into some sort of mix of their presence.

She takes off her jacket and heels, bee lining to her bed and lets herself collapse on the mattress, crawling up to her headboard, clutching her pillow and letting a huff come out of her lungs. She needs to relax. But things are clearer, or she wants to believe they are.

She turns on her back and sees his white and blue pinstripe shirt hanging from the back of the chair. She loves the way that shirt looks on him. Her phone vibrates in her pocket and she pulls it out; she already knows it's him.

_How did it go?_ – Simple. Yet complicated.

_Are you up for a chat?_ – She responds and it hasn't been 3 seconds when the phone shows his face on the caller ID.

"Hey." Her voice comes unexpectedly throaty and she makes an effort to not make it sound like she spent a very good part of the afternoon in a mid cry.

"Of course I'm up for a chat." His voice is casual, like always. "Was that drop all that you wished and more?"

"Its gearing to be complicated," she begins, "two bodies. A pregnant girl."

"Satanic rituals?" And she cannot help but laugh.

"No, nothing ritualistic, no voodoo, no aliens, just humans."

"Any suspects yet?"

"I don't know." She knows she sounds tired, and so does he. "I left the precinct around noon. Needed to clear my head."

"Are you still worrying about Ryan?"

"Actually, no." She says, and she actually means it. Regardless of this being an issue, if he does know about them, he doesn't seem to be willing to let his curiosity run free.

"What's going on? Do you want me to come over?"

There's a pause and she considers if it's better that they do this face to face. Her point might be hard to get across. But having him here would be too distracting.

"No, that's ok." More silence and she can hear him breathe over the phone.

"Are you ok, Kate?"

She takes a deep breath and decides that she needs to get this out before she chickens out.

"You left me today. It was the first time in a long time that I didn't walk into a crime scene with you." God, she needs to find the words that actually tell what she wants to say. "I felt incomplete for some reason."

She can hear his sigh on the other end, but this is not what she wants. She doesn't want to make him feel guilty over this, but actually the complete opposite.

"Being there I realized how much I lean on you, and I love that. I love that we're like that… but it's unfair." She knows how this sounds and is such an abstract thought.

"Is not unfair, Kate. This is what we are, a team."

"Yes, but what kind of a team are we when I let you do the things you do? I'm not being fair." She mulled over this all afternoon, how he would always go the distance and more to meet what he sensed she needed, even when it meant reading her wrong.

"This morning, when I was so terrified of setting foot in the precinct, you assured me that everything would be alright." She could see it in his eyes. He doesn't know it, but she's learned to identify exactly when he's decided to swallow his pride once again for the sake of one more moment with her. "You braved that meeting with Gates, taking the blunt of a lie. Tip toeing around what is your integrity, and while I know that this is a worthy sacrifice, is not fair."

"No one said that this would be fair at any point. I didn't expect it to be, but like you said its worth…" He's trying to calm her, she knows, but this is not what she needs right now. She needs to fight this out of her system.

"The deceit? Its worth the value of your word, of you reputation?" And she knows that he's a proud man, he's become that more and more over the years, despite his past, despite his boyish ways, abandoning the practices that made his previous wild fame. "You can't tell me that your honesty doesn't mean anything to you."

"It does, Kate. But this means more to me." His voice comes somewhat strangled, and she knows this must be hurting but he needs to snap out this so-called concept of chivalry. "I couldn't care less what other people think, and I know that we're both troubled about lying to people we care, but at the end of the day, I'm in a relationship with you."

"Then let me be also part of the sacrifice." They knew the implications. They knew that once they stepped out of the bubble of their intimacy and had to face the world, their most valuable possession would be out for examination. Vulnerable. She thinks that if anyone is out to get them, they know that they're each other's Achilles heel.

"You realize that you're asking me to let you get hurt."

"Castle, is not only about this, today." Keep going, Kate, get it out. "In the past, you've gone above and beyond to protect me, to protect us, with a great cost to you. We almost lost each other…"

"Because I can take it, Kate. I will take every single punch that I can detour from your life. Don't you understand that?" And she does, but this is also about her ability to function the way she is.

"And when is my turn to be the hero? When do I get to guard you? If we're in this together, then let me." She doesn't know when the tears started to stream copiously from her eyes, stinging, and she has to stifle a sob to keep going.

"Today, I thought about what would happen if I wasn't there to protect you, and the unbalance of our situation made me feel selfish. I thought that my need to have you by my side was because you have become a crutch to me, and in a way you have, and that's fine. But it is also about the fact that I need to be with you for that one moment you decide that you do believe in those words you uttered to me. If you think I'm brave to take on the most dangerous men, then believe in me to prove I can be strong when it comes to you. And I failed to show you and convince you of that."

There's a silence at the end of the line and she wonders if she's gone too far, pushing him to accept a new arrangement that he might not be able to take.

"I… I just can't bear the thought of seeing you hurt for me, Kate." She's beginning to think that having this conversation over the phone might not have been the greatest idea. But he continues. "I already know that I have hurt you in the past in my search to prevent you from hurting yourself. And yes, I might have gotten hurt in the way, but…"

"I don't want you to do that anymore, not on your own." She interrupts him. Please, Castle, please understand me, because this is the clearest I've been about us, she thinks. "Do you want to know why I was so upset that you made the choice to take on Smith on your own?"

The memories of that fight still hurt her like a knife, as if she had been shot again, the dread, the overwhelming fear that clouded her.

"It is so clear to me now. Because had anything gone wrong, I wouldn't have been there to stop it. I wouldn't have had the opportunity." She takes a deep breath, she feels as if she's lost an enormous load that she didn't know she was holding on to. "It is noble what you do, selfless, and an incredible way to show how much you love me… and I should had said this sooner, instead of letting my anger drive me mad and making you walk away."

She lets her words sink in. She knows that he's as stubborn as she is.

"I won't walk away." He says, his voice much deeper, and she realizes that he's standing right there, in her bedroom.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"I believe I crossed your front door right about the time when you started talking about my damaged reputation." He tries a smile, but in this situation he can't even pull it off. "I was already on my way here when you texted me."

He doesn't come any closer, standing at the entrance of her room, letting her have her space, but she needs him. She pats the space next to her on her mattress and he approaches carefully, spent.

He settles next to her and they sit like that for what seems like an eternity to her. She's drained. It's his time to talk.

"You know, my mother told me this afternoon something that made me realize that I was being egoistical." He's so much calmer compared to the storm that had been her unload. "And it's true. It's been probably what's my recurrent mistake. It goes with my personality, I need to take over."

"But you are right. It's your turn; it's our turn." She looks at him, and the sincere expression in his eyes makes it hard to stifle the sob she's been holding onto. She doesn't want to let him see her cry anymore. He turns to her and tucks her hair behind her ears, caressing her lobe.

"It's just hard to accept that part of that egoism comes from the fact that I was always the one fending for myself. Protecting my loved ones, and myself… because I was supposed to step up. Because no one else would do it." She relaxes at his continuous caress, his fingers softly grazing her arms.

"And I hid in what other people thought was selfish at times, not letting people take ownership of their own power and ability to make me feel protected. It's not easy for me to let my guard down, but, with you, I don't want to live hurting you because I deny myself of admitting my own vulnerability." He looks down, and then she sees that expression she knows is necessary but painful. He blinks and the moisture that he has been trying to hide rolls down his features.

She closes the gap between them, her lips so close to his skin, and looks deep into his eyes.

"The fact that you admit something might be out of your reach doesn't make you weak, Castle." She kisses the wet path on his right cheek. A momentary caress and she continues, "it just makes me marvel about how wonderfully human you are."

His chest heaves and she can see that he needs to process her words.

"I promise to let you be my hero, if you ever want to rescue me." He says, in a watery smile.

"And I promise still let you be my knight, but I will guard the things that you forget that you can't live without." He stares at her deeply, and she takes his lips, with a need that she doesn't know how to hold. It was her time to let the bard rendered speechless.

They make love. Standing in a higher ground. They'll continue to climb.

* * *

**A/N: YES, I realize that this is a long read and not the entirely playful chapter that I had promised. But I blame this on having a conversation with my fantastic mentor that shall remain unnamed. He has inspired me to write thing like this my entire life, and probably the reason why I'd rather starve than live my life without telling stories. The characters wanted me to do this, blame it also on them.**

**This is out of their systems. Now we can move forward. If you stuck to read the ridiculous amount of words this chapter entailed, go ahead and leave me a review to see if this was worth not sleeping in the past 48 hours! Even if its a passionate scream of anger because you wanted hazing and jokes from Ryan and Esposito.  
**

**Also kudos if you read this listening to Robert Duncan, I'm sure some kind of sobbing or heart tightening happened.  
**

**As always, my eternal love to Ky for being the patient beta that she is, even when it was crazy to put up with my faulty and weird grammar.  
**

**ABSOLUTELY loved all of your reviews from the past 2 chapters.  
**


	4. Chapter 4: New Dawn

"I'm in the bedroom!" he hears Jenny shout as he enters the apartment. He's glad that he's finally home after such a long day.

After Beckett had dropped him off at the precinct, they had gotten occupied trying to get the background information for their victims. Nothing had seemed outstanding or out of order. There was nothing to suggest that they were involved in any fraudulent activities.

The witnesses proved to be useless; none of them had seen anything when they entered the store. The shooter had probably left well before their arrival.

As Beckett had foreseen, there were way too many fingerprints scattered through the locale for them to be of any help. Lanie had sent the samples to test DNA; those would come back tomorrow. Their only hope is that there's a hit in the system.

"Hi, love." He sheds his jacket and greets his wife with a soft peck.

"Hi, babe," she says with a warm smile. She's sitting propped against the headboard, a thick book on her lap; glasses perched on the tip of her nose. She's so cute, he thinks, even geeky like this. "Did you eat? I made eggplant Parmesan; I can heat it up for you."

"No, that's ok. We got Chinese around seven. I'm still pretty stuffed." He dismisses the thought even when he knows that he'll probably sneak a bite straight from the refrigerator before he goes to bed.

"So how was it? Tell me all about it!" She puts down her book and crawls to the edge of the bed, watching him change out of his work clothes.

"It was pretty interesting, actually." He sheds his shirt and pants and tosses them in the laundry basket, takes off his undershirt and digs for a pair of sweats.

He feels her playfully spank his behind as he rises back up.

"How so?" Her hands circle his waist and her lips kiss his shoulder.

"They're terrified, or at least Beckett is." He turns to her, placing his hands on her hips.

"Oh no!" she exclaims, worried. "Of you? Did she say anything?"

"No, no. They played the charade pretty well," he says, dismissing her concern. "But Beckett was upset; she ended up going home at some point during the day, that's how bad it was."

"Was she trying not to let people see them together?"

"No, that's the thing. Castle didn't tag along with us today and I think that's what triggered it." He didn't want to think too much about it, but maybe the dimensions of this new scenario his friends were navigating may be getting the best of them. "I don't know if I would pinpoint it to the fact that she was by herself, but then we got to talking and she asked me something that made me think about how much this new situation means to her."

"What? Did you guys end up having girly talk?" she teases him. Funny, it did seem like girly talk at some point, or at least, the most that Kate Beckett would ever allow herself.

"No. More like cop talk" he laughs. They move to the kitchen and she gets a couple of cups, sets the kettle and tea fixings. "She's afraid of the risk, I guess. Which I have to say, it surprised me," he says, hovering around her, settling against the counter.

"Why?"

"I think I understand, but then I don't. You would think she'd be a seasoned risk taker by now. And she is," he says, grabbing the milk from the fridge and pouring some of it in a measuring cup, heating it up in the microwave. "I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not like she's a dare-devil, but she definitely has more balls than me and Javier put together."

She laughs.

"She doesn't flinch when it comes to charging right in." He grabs the milk and pours it into the cups with their tea; Jenny finishes their routine, sweetening the drink with a dollop of honey. "She asked me about being afraid of dying in the line of duty. And you know about this, we've talked about this."

"Yeah, and that's a conversation I don't really want to revisit." She hands him his cup and they sit in their breakfast nook.

"I know, but we had it." It hadn't been a pleasant conversation. Back when they realized that their relationship was far more serious than they had been aware. It was hard to explain it to her, even when she was completely aware of how much his job meant to him.

"I'm aware that things changed after her face off with that guy on the roof," he continues. "I know that she got burned. But after she returned, and we found her mother's killer, she was back… with a vengeance."

"She certainly is a woman that makes the rest of us look like slackers," she says, self-conscious.

"Hey, don't say that." He eases her with a smile and by intertwining his fingers through hers. "You know that I'm pretty infatuated with my little, sexy bunny."

"Hey, hey… don't get side tracked. Go on," she says, laughing it off.

"You should have seen them, though." He takes a sip from his cup, smiling at her. Jenny leans in, the interest in this story so appealing to her; and he loves it. "Earlier when they were at the precinct, before we left for the drop… if they were sickening before I was aware of what was going on, now it's kind of revolting."

"Oh, you don't think that." She swats his hand.

"I know, I know. Which is what brings me back to the conversation I had with her." Their moment in the car had been one that he's sure he's never had with his boss. Sometimes, they forget that there's more to talk about than alibis, murder suspects and old war stories, and this made for an interesting change. "When we were at the crime scene, she seemed perturbed that he wasn't there, she wasn't at all immersed in our routine. You could tell. And then that question came, and I just felt like she's probably doing the math of all the times that her life has been threatened, wondering if her number is still up."

"Oh, but Kevin. This time is different. She has a lot to lose. They both do." She's right; the stakes are way higher now. "She can't continue like that if they want to move on, though."

"I know. She's probably aware that she can't continue dwelling in the past, because she knows what it has done to her and Castle." He grabs their empty cups and rinses them off. "But I wonder if she's aware that now it's all about moving forward. Let those things that made her who she is, still be there as a reference, yes, but allow herself to build and move on."

"New things are always scary."

"I know, but I can't very well tell her that. At least not flat out." This mission they have set themselves up might be more difficult than he imagined at first.

"Did Castle make any comments about the message on the cup?" she asks, giddy.

"No, but I saw him show it to her." He smiles. "Now that they have the cups and are aware that something is going on and I know a bit more of what's happening between them, we need to think about the next message."

He puts the milk carton back inside the fridge and eyes the baking dish with the eggplant parmesan, hmm, maybe just a taste, he considers. He grabs one of the spoons from the drawer.

"What are you doing?" she asks as he jabs the dish, downing a spoonful of the cheesy and saucy concoction. "Hey! I thought you were too full of Chinese!"

"I am, but this is good!" he says, mid chew. She laughs, whipping some left over sauce from the corner of his lips.

"Glutton!" she scolds. "You know what I thought today?" she continues while they make their way back to their living room and settle on the couch, flipping on the TV. "We took the kids to the library in the morning, and now they have to write their own stories. One of them, Michael, he was so cute and gave me this big hug…" She's all smiles when she talks about her job. She adores those kids.

"Should I be worried about you having a student crushing on you?" He winks at her, mock jealousy in his voice.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." She rolls her eyes at him and continues flipping through channels. God, she's going to make him watch Conan, when all he wants to watch is Jon Stewart take stabs at Mitt Romney.

"No, he thanked me because I helped him tell the story about his puppy," she continues. "He was stuck talking about his time before he had one and I told him it was more interesting to know the fun he was having now that he had a best friend. And I realized this is what you want to do, help them come up with the story. It's nice being a mentor sometimes."

God, he cannot stand Conan. He'll have to catch his show tomorrow morning on his computer.

"I'm sure Castle has already figured the story part out." He hopes the writer is being this smart about his role in it. "Everywhere we go, he's always looking for one."

"Oh but it's different when you're so close to the subject matter." Maybe she's right. It's simpler to him and Jenny, because they're still looking from the sidelines. Castle and Beckett have to concentrate on moving forward. Just like they did. When you want something so much, all you can do is charge through… but people get distracted with the past. She's right.

"Maybe it's all about assembly instructions…"

"Then, Jennifer O'Malley-Ryan… That's what we'll be."

"I think I have it…" She moves off the couch, grabs a note pad and scribbles two short sentences. "Here."

He takes a note pad from her… the beautiful cursive handwriting and the next messages they can give to their friends.

Yeah. He loves his wife.

* * *

"Do you really have to go to the loft first?" she asks as he helps her out of the shower, grabbing the oversized towel from the rack and circling her with the soft and warm fabric. He rubs her skin, catching all the drops that fall from her hair.

"Well, look at me, I need fresh clothes." he says as he kisses her lips softly, pulling the towel to her hair and rubbing the water off the tendrils, a little too rough.

"Ugh, stop it, Castle!" she whines, annoyed. "You're gonna knot it all up!" She swats him off and walks toward her vanity.

"Nonsense." he quips, turning to her and grabbing her hips while she reaches for her comb. "Let me."

He runs the toothcomb through her hair, delicately, checking her expression in the mirror. She smiles back at him. Something as small as this is so intimate; he loves her hair. Her loves her naked face in the mornings, no make-up at all; her eyes look different, still mesmerizing, but with a different light to them. He luxuriates in her skin as he nuzzles her neck; she lets a sigh escape her.

The conversation from last night might have had them on the edge when he showed up, but this morning was a fresh start. The air seemed lighter, calmer.

"You smell good," he says, between nips against her dewy skin.

"Castle… clothes," she warns.

"Right. Fine. Leaving."

"You have the white shirt here, and the burgundy one…" She walks into her bedroom and he follows, leaning against the bedpost, "…just wear one of those." She reaches into her underwear drawer. Blue cotton and lace is her choice today. He can't help but gawk at her; unintentionally seductive. She catches his eye and shakes her head. Caught dirty handed.

"The shirts don't match my pants. And I need a new pair, anyway. They're all wrinkled," he says, distracted as she clasps her bra on.

"Well, you were the one that left them bunched up on the floor last night," she throws him a smirk and a wink. Oh, this woman is going to be the end of him, prancing around her room, clad only in underwear and being a smart ass.

"Excuse me, I remember very clearly that someone barely gave me the time to get out of them to begin with…" he says and she smiles at him. "Tsk, Tsk… You made me ruin my clothes, Beckett."

"Sometimes I wonder who's the girl of this relationship…" she jokes, and he would argue, but sometimes he has to admit that he takes too much pride in his looks. Mostly because he knows she enjoys the show as well.

"Do I have to prove to you who the man is in this partnership?" He grinds his hips up against her from behind, letting her feel what she does to him. "You are sexy, amazing…. hot as hell, Kate. And definitely all woman" he says, cupping her breasts.

"Stop it!" She pushes him off, a chuckle in her voice. "We're going to be late."

"Fine, fine," he says, resigned, pulling her in for one last kiss before he leaves. Her phone goes off, the text message alert. She grunts against his lips and pulls away, reaching for her phone.

"It's Lanie. She found something." He gets his shoes on and she goes back to her closet, indecisive. "I have to stop by the precinct, catch up with the boys and then hit her office… get my coffee."

"Oh, get it from the corner shop. We get free coffee if we bring those cups I got yesterday."

"We already have free coffee at the 12th," she says, dismissing his plans.

He's sure she's considering how bothersome it would be to leave the precinct once she's there. "Yeah, but no special vanilla..." he taunts, calling to her weakness for a fine crafted coffee.

"Mmm. True." A whimsical look is in her eyes and he smiles. He would be worried that this qualifies as an addiction but he's such an enabler, he has no room to talk. "Fine, I'll pick up the cups, meet you there, then Lanie's," she says stating her plan, and pulling a couple of items from the hangers.

"You're gonna make me rush," he says, standing up and taking the shirt from her.

"You better leave, now." She takes the shirt from him, and pushes him out of the room.

"Fine," he says, amused, reaching for his keys on the kitchen counter. "So demanding!"

She smiles, one hand on her hips, the other pointing at the door; she so cute when she gets bossy. Well… cute-hot, potato-potahto. "Wear the purple Burberry top… and the skinny black pants," he adds from the door.

"Why those?" Her eyebrow lifts, the smirk is back, curious.

"Oh, I have very fond memories of that outfit," he smirks back. Oh yeah. Those skinny pants. He still wonders if she caught him ogling her that day. "Meet you at the corner."

And he closes the door behind him. He has to rush; Kate Beckett is getting him coffee.

* * *

By the time she gets to the precinct the boys are already knee deep in phone calls. Esposito has handed her the file and informed her of yesterday's findings… or the lack of thereof.

Maybe the fact that they don't have leads already could be a lead on itself. She needed to be on her A-game today; her team needs her all-in.

She walks to the coffee shop, taking in the rush of people around her. She feels better today, definitely better. They had needed their talk. Even though it was a conversation that had taken place just few hours ago, it felt like it had taken place ages ago. Maybe it was her brain putting distance from it already.

She enters the shop, cups in hand, the funny scribble on one of them. Hmm, chocolate, she thinks. Maybe she'll have one of those today.

"Hello, Detective Beckett," the cashier greets her from behind the counter. "I see that Mr. Castle let you in on our deal," she says taking the cups from her.

"Yeah, and I'm glad, because your coffee is delicious."

"We try," Holly says unabashedly.

"That's a skim—" Kate begins, but Holly interrupts her.

"Don't worry, we know your order," she says with a wink.

"I forget that Castle comes here every day." Five years of coffee cups, no wonder they're getting free coffee; they probably helped pay for that new cappuccino machine. "Say do you have those chocolate bear claws?"

"Oh, no, but we do have _Pain Au Chocolat_," Holly suggests with an eyebrow wiggle. "I think you'll like it better." Hmm, it does sound better, she thinks. A little change in her routine, something new. If they're anywhere as good as the ones she had in Paris when she went on that trip years ago, she's sure to be thankful for the shift. God, has it really been almost ten years since she last had one of those?

"You're all set to go." Holly hands her back the cups and the pastry. Kate puts a few bills in the tip jar.

"Here, some extra love for the recommendation." The cashier nods, grateful, and Kate grabs the items from the counter. "See you tomorrow." Maybe this could become a habit. She could be the one bringing him coffee.

When she comes out of the shop, Castle is already waiting for her, fiddling with his iPhone and looking freshly shaven and casual. He throws a sly smile at her.

"Essentials acquired?" He's wearing that heather gray V-neck and his green jacket. Sporty Castle came by today.

"Yes, and even something to nibble on." She flaunts the bag at him.

"Oh what did you get me?" They start their way back to the precinct and to her car.

"No, no. This is for me. You don't need the carbs." He won't be getting any of it if it's up to her, and she knows it's cruel, but he needs to shed those last ten pounds. She knows that he isn't entirely happy at the fact that his snacking is being policed by his girls, but he had even admitted to needing this, pure discipline. His mortified face showed when she mentioned that he had hit the 40-year old bump, letting himself go, just a little bit. He had frowned, she had joked, pinching his sides and slapping his round behind.

She offered to get him in shape, letting him join her in her sparring sessions, and light jogs around Central Park when he managed to wake up early enough. He'd gained a lot of muscle in recent years and if he shed the extra layer of padding, he'd quite possibly be an example of the perfect boyfriend. There was probably a month left to go of this torture, before they hit Thanksgiving and Christmas; she won't be able to keep him from all the treats. Hell, he won't be able to keep her from a bowl of stuffing covered in gravy… Yeah, that sounds good.

"You're a mean woman," he says with a fake pout, taking the cup from her. "Oh, another one!" he exclaims, his eyes full of curiosity, examining the plastic cup.

"Another what?" she asks as she dodges a group of girls running, on their way to the bus stop.

"A message. She said yesterday that there would be messages." They reach the entrance of the garage and enter the stairwell to the basement.

"What Castle, are you running a scavenger hunt with the coffee lady?" She laughs. "Your ability to pull people into your antics never ceases to amaze." And really, is he this bored that he now has to pull perfect strangers into his games?

"It's not me!" he says, a bit indignant. "I don't know what it is or why is it happening, but it seemed to work perfectly yesterday. Didn't it?" It had, she thinks, a bit thrown off that it wasn't his intention or attention to detail that had brought her that chocolaty goodness. Her curiosity has been piqued, though.

"Count Backwards?" she asks, reading the message on his cup as they exit the stairs. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know," and then he grabs her cup from her hand, almost making her spill coffee on herself, as she was about to take a sip. "Wait, yours has one too."

"Let me see," she says, annoyed at his lack of finesse. He forgets to be careful when his excitement gets the best of him. "Narrate Forward."

"Why is she saying that to you?"

"To me?"

"It's on your cup..." he says as if it's the most logical thing, and, well, it is. She did say that they knew their order, so she'd know this was her coffee cup.

They reach her car and she stops for a second. If these messages are especially dedicated at them… Could it be? She thinks.

"Count backwards, narrate forwards," she repeats for emphasis, throwing a glare at him that seems to make the pieces of last night's conversation fit into place. That really sums it up, but why this message? How could they refer to what they just took a stab at last night?

"Nah, it can't be…" he says, trying to dismiss it.

"Yeah, it can't but it is the gist of it, isn't it?" But how could she know?

"Yeah… That..." He's a little flabbergasted, she can see it. But could he just be putting up an act?

"Are you setting this up, Castle?" Her voice full of suspicion, a trace of annoyance as well. "I like the cuteness of it and all, but I don't know if I want strangers knowing our business."

It's his time to roll his eyes at her now and throw a scoff at her.

"I swear to god, cross my heart, hope to die of a horrible death," he starts with a very dramatic rant that dilutes in a humorous tone, "possibly of an epidemic of lack of imagination or because they announce that they're banning video games, that it is not me sending these messages."

She purses her lips and stares intently at him, squinting, trying to figure if he's really telling the truth. She lets the moment linger for a minute; if he's not it, then this is going in the drawer of 'Freaky things that have happened to me because of Richard Castle'.

"It's not me," he says, coming closer and whispering to her. "If it were; I'd be sending much naughtier messages, believe me."

She suppresses a smile; a combo of naughty phrases he's uttered to her in the last few weeks come to mind, the quirks of dating a writer.

"Hmm, fine. I got the coffee - You drive," she says and Castle smiles, giddy. She'll think about this while she eats her treat. Maybe they ought to check her apartment for bugs.

* * *

"You took long enough! I was about to call search and rescue, see if you got lost on the way over here," Lanie announces when they enter the room. Her hands are on her hips, yeah, she's pissed.

"Sorry, I had to swing by the precinct first," Kate apologizes, but smiles at her friend. These two, Castle thinks… the day that he sees them really mad at each other that will be the day the apocalypse will happen.

"I see you forgot my coffee again." The sassy woman announces with a scold, pointing at their coffee cups. Man, this is going to be a long morning and is not even nine am yet.

"I… we…" He stutters and looks at Kate, who's rolling her eyes but this time with a smile. Oh, he gets it.

"Cool it, Castle." She's enjoying the joke, it seems. "She's playing with you."

Lanie throws him one of those menacing looks but then lets a snicker soften the air. He appreciates the humor, he does, but sometimes it catches him off guard and he doesn't have a smartass comeback for her. He feels like he's losing their constant banter battle when he can't up the ante. He's going to have to be more prepared, 'cause he totally flopped that one. He was distracted, struck by the way the stark light hit Kate's hair.

"I got those DNA results for you." Lanie reaches for the folder, getting down to business. "The suspect isn't in the system, but I can tell you it's a woman, Caucasian, brown hair, brown eyes."

"That's not much, but it's something I guess." Kate takes the folder from her and starts going through it. "This case just seems to refuse to crack."

There's frustration in her voice. The ME continues.

"While her gun shots are through and through, we weren't able to find them lodged anywhere at the scene…"

"The shooter could have removed them…" Castle proposes.

"It's too small of a space for us not to notice the left over holes in the floor." Kate dismisses his idea and continues. "Plus we found the ones that hit Mr. Lorenzo, lodged in the column behind him. Why take hers and not take his?"

"It's too bad, Mr. Lorenzo's were too compressed to get any trace from them." Lanie laments, more dead ends.

He leans in to take a peek at the report, as if he could make sense of any of it. He still has to master his scientific skills a bit, he thinks, making a mental note of it.

"I can confirm though that by the look of the gunshots on Mandy's abdomen, she did sit in that blood puddle while she was still alive… but I'd be more inclined to say that she stood for some time before she got shot in the neck," Lanie continues.

"Could she really be standing after being shot twice?" Kate wonders as they approach the woman's body that Lanie rolls out of one of the freezers.

"Well, she did, because the blood dripped down her legs. It wouldn't have happened if she were sitting down. And she now shows some bruising to the right side of the forehead, which by the size of it I'd say is from the barrel of a gun. I don't know if that helps in any way."

"So she was held up at gunpoint for some time as well…" Castle remarks. "Maybe the shooter used her as a shield?"

"Maybe," Lanie continues. "And while I said that Mr. Lorenzo had been shot way before her, I'm not so sure anymore."

"They could have been shot at the same time, the last shot to her neck happening much later," Kate says, staring at the young woman's lifeless face. Even in her death slumber, she could see the anguish of her last moments.

"Yes. Her wounds showed that the blood flowed for some time. It wouldn't have happened if she had received the shot to the neck right away. And the puddles, just like you said, they differ in size a lot."

"This changes the crime scene though, these findings… the fact that she was standing, the bruise on her temple…" Castle intervenes.

Both women look at him, curious about his input.

"Well, I'm assuming you thought she was sitting when she got shot. If she wasn't, and I'm just jumping to conclusions here, then you could have a bullet that could have lodged itself in a place that CSU could have overlooked. That bullet could be undamaged enough to get trace or even tell you the angle of the shot…"

"…And I could probably pinpoint the approximate height of your shooter, considering the powder on her clothes." Lanie jumps on Castle's argument.

"That could be something, but we need more." Kate is more hopeful but still reserved. He knows that this is all assumption right now.

"Then I saved the best for last… I ran a DNA test on the baby as well." Lanie grabs an additional folder, flaunting it with a smug face.

"Please don't tell me the kid is Lorenzo's," Kate says with disgust, making eyes at Lanie and then him. "Big, old guy…" She mouths to him with a grimace.

"No, no. But a relative of his," Lanie clarifies. "Maybe a son, a brother, grandkid… someone related to him for sure."

"Well that's something to go on, but Esposito won't be happy…" Kate states, raising an eyebrow and giving a small smile.

"How so?" Lanie and Castle ask at unison, curious.

"Because, someone lied to him yesterday." She trades a look with her friends. Lanie and Castle know it very well. Javier has a sore spot for liars, which, Kate thinks, they should consider prepping themselves for when they have to face _that_ wrath.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry I'm not living up to my own expectations of delivering this quicker, I really wanted to finish this before "Probable Cause", alas I think it won't happen! This still has some steam for me to go on for a few more, and I hope you tag along for the ride. I blame the delay on real life, having to work to make rent (blergh who invented this system!?) and not being in any slightly playful mood after seeing those sneak peeks, regardless of how much I kidded myself saying I wasn't going to!**

**As always, much thanks to Ky for being an awesome beta. There are some easter eggs thrown in there for the people that actually know me in person, hehe, they'll pick up on it I hope.  
**

**Reviews, winks, and even screams are more than welcomed!  
**


	5. Chapter 5: Game of Elimination

**A/N: Ok... Let's face it. Marlowe has rendered almost everyone incapable of writing a steady stream of fanfic. Seriously, who wants to write anything when you see it on TV all pretty and awesome and shot just like you imagined it? **

**Having said that, I got stuck on trying to get out of rewrite hell with my actual spec scripts that were out for review. So... I guess what I'm saying here is, yes, I know, this update is way over due.**

**Some case file that's needed... and some cuteness abound.**

* * *

By the time that Beckett and Castle arrive at the precinct, Lanie has already called Ryan to inform him of her findings; he was going to have to re-interview the male members of the Lorenzo Family. They could try to get a court order to get DNA samples from all of them, but with the female DNA they had found lodged on Mandy's nails, it was probably going to get dismissed. So, it was back to the good old suspect interrogation.

"You know, I don't mind so much that I'm going to have to have all these people back in here, but what I do mind is the fishing." Esposito is already in a bad mood; he's in no disposition to play good cop today, he despises liars. Plus it doesn't help that Mr. Lorenzo has four sons, all well over the age of scoring with pretty Mandy. Add to that, two daughters and two in-laws, three brothers, and two teenaged grandsons. They had all shown up yesterday at the station. Mr. Lorenzo was the rock of the family, and much like all Latin American families, they went _everywhere_ together.

It was going to be a long day.

"Maybe you should leave it up to us," Kate offers, signaling Castle and her. "You guys covered for us yesterday."

Esposito gets up from his desk, huffing. "No. This is personal now." He growls, and Castle trades looks with Ryan.

"It's a hit on his macho pride," Ryan whispers to Castle.

"I heard that!" shouts Esposito on his way to the break room for his third cup of coffee of the day. Beckett follows him. He knows what she's going to try to do.

"You know, Javi... We could tag team these folks, no need for you to take them all," she says with a smile. "Since you guys already talked to them yesterday, maybe I can go in with you, Castle can take the other half with Ryan."

Esposito considers the offer while he pours a spoon-too-many sugars into his coffee. He doesn't want to concede, but the truth is that he can't get over his foul mood today.

"Fine, but only if I get to be bad cop," he says with a scowl.

"Oh, don't worry, Espo. I won't take that pleasure away from you," she jokes, bumping playfully into him. "Come on, let's pick your first victim- I mean, suspect." She winks at him.

* * *

In a room full of "Lorenzos," Kate and Esposito take the first one. Edecio, the youngest son, is a twenty five year old built like a wrestler. Their strategy is to try to find the father of the child.

Ryan and Castle pick the pimply, eighteen-year-old grandson with the incipient mustache that barely shows over his lip. It must be a hip thing amongst these folks, Castle thinks. He doesn't want to seem racist or stereotypical, not even in his head, but really, it looks kind of ridiculous.

Then again, it might have been an attractive thing for Mandy; the exotic kid that lavished her with innocent attentions, and she would be the experienced woman, probably his first. Yeah, this kid doesn't look like he's seen much action.

They settle in front of him, he's visibly nervous, fidgeting on his seat, eyes darting between them.

"So, Antonio, we meet again," Ryan starts. "We didn't get much time to talk yesterday. This is Mr. Castle, by the way, he'll be assisting me with the investigation." He has gotten used to being introduced like this to suspects, the phrase having a variety of effects on the listener. But for this kid, not only did it seem like he was being called into the principal's office, but now he had just been told that the superintendent was there to oversee as well.

Maybe it's just nerves, maybe its guilt.

"I like the 'stache," Castle says, trying to be funny, and to bond with the kid. "Is it hard to keep it that thin?" He knows he's being a smart ass but the kid just gives him a leer.

Ryan clears his throat and decides to just get on with it.

"So, when we talked yesterday, I think we mentioned that Mandy was pregnant. Did you know that?" Castle observes every reaction from the kid.

"I really didn't know Mandy. I just know that she helped _Abuelo_ at the store, and that she came by for Labor Day," Antonio explains. "She's not Cuban, so she doesn't really hang with us."

"She doesn't 'really'? But then she did hang with you guys at some point?" Castle intervenes.

"Is not like that." There's some doubt in the kid's voice. "She doesn't—she didn't hang with the kids. She would help _Abuela_ Maria with the taxes sometimes. Come by for dinner occasionally, but that was it."

"So you don't know if she was dating any of the guys in your family? Your cousin? One of your uncles?"

"No. We don't mix with _gringos_," he states, matter-of-factly.

Ryan and Castle trade looks.

"And why is that?" Castle digs into this new vein of information.

"Well, _Abuela_ says that our family may be out of _La Habana_ but we're still _Cubanos_. And everyone will have Cuban spouses, and Cuban children..."

"That's quite a radical way to try to preserve your roots…" Castle comments.

"Well, that's grandma for ya. I know, it's weird." He can tell that the kid is slightly annoyed at the custom.

"No, I get ya," adds Ryan, trying to put him at ease, "I'm Irish, my dad always pushed for me to continue the tradition and marry an Irish girl."

"And you did…" continues Castle, with a smile, making small conversation.

"Yeah, there's something about 'your people', you know?" Ryan enables, trying to create some comfort in this kid. "Same values, same likes, same food…"

"Yeah… that." The kid seems dazed by the rant and couldn't really care less about their faked speech about legacy. The interview drags on but doesn't bring them anything new, and so they move on to their next candidate. Twenty years-old and built like an ox; sweet, smiley Marcos, the other grandson and Antonio's brother.

"Tell me something, Marcos," Castle says, after a few minutes of the same recollection of their family's practices and relationship with Mandy. Using the same friendly tone he'd adopted with Antonio, he continues, "Did you see Mandy get upset with anyone from your family, anyone that she would avoid?"

"Well, my aunt Graciela didn't like her too much. But then again she doesn't like anyone."

"Why is that?" Castle suspects that maybe they could have found the first solid lead.

"Because she's an _amargada_, bitter bitch," he blurts out. "Sorry, she's just, you know, unhappy. She married uncle Adolfo, he's the first born, but they didn't have kids. My mom and my sisters say that she's upset that because of that, they won't get to inherit the pharmacy or _Abuela_'s house when they pass. My dad will get it, he got married to a Cuban, and he had a male first born."

Ryan and Castle trade looks; the theory formulates in their mind quickly and effortlessly. Adolfo managed to get Mandy pregnant and Graciela found out. A scorned and ambitious woman, driven to murderous madness because her husband had managed to get another woman pregnant; a _gringa, _spoiling her plans. Maybe that's part of the story, Castle thinks, an impossible love, the weight of tradition ruining their chances to be happy.

Ryan thanks Marcos for his information and sends him on his way; this has to mean something, Castle is convinced. They have to bring Graciela in.

As they come out of the interrogation room, they see that Adolfo is one of the members of the family still waiting for their turn to come in.

"Do you want to bite that bullet right now?" Ryan seems reserved about this, and Castle understands; he may want to wait.

"Maybe we should tell the guys what we've learned before we move any further," Castle recommends. "I wouldn't want to get our wires crossed and put anyone on alert if there's anyone covering this up. Plus, we need to see if Javier and Kate have managed to gather any new information."

Ryan agrees and waits until he sees that Javier exit, ushering one of Lorenzo's brothers out of the interrogation room. Beckett comes out as well, looking a little worn.

"Got anything?" Castle asks, with a soft look toward her.

"We're not sure, all we've heard is that Mandy was well liked by Mr. Lorenzo. That she was helpful and had worked at the pharmacy for about two years." She adds a couple of details to the murder board. "He doesn't have a history of violence or enemies. Pretty well liked in the community," she says, capping her marker and walking to her desk while she rubs her neck and sits down on her chair. He follows by her side, he's tired as well.

"We may have something," he whispers, careful not to be heard by any of the numerous members of the family that are wandering the floor. "One of the grandsons told us that Graciela, one of the in-laws, wife of the oldest son, might have had some beef with Mandy."

"Do we know why?" she says, trying to loosen her shoulders and he wishes he could just reach out and ease some of the tension.

"No, but she was already considered the grump," Castle informs her, hushed, watching as she tries to relax and leans into his space. "She wasn't able to produce a heir and ensure that her husband, Adolfo, could take over the family business and properties."

"I see where you're going." Kate's eyes glisten in excitement at the new discovery. "Are they here?"

"He is, but we wanted to regroup, see how you wanted to tackle this…" She goes pensive for a second. He can almost hear the gears in her head, clicking and anticipating the best move, and then she meets his eyes. Lately, these moments when they build theory have become such an exhilarating experience for them both, their own thing, which for years was their own version of foreplay.

What would happen if he just reached out and grabbed her to seal a kiss on her lips? He enjoys how sexy she looks when she's a hunter out for the kill, that beautiful brain of hers lighting up with theories upon theories. God, holding back from ravishing her whenever he wants seems so hard at times.

Suddenly, he feels her left hand turn on top of his, the back of her index finger softly caressing his skin. Castle knows that she's aware of what she's doing and why she's doing it too. He doesn't feel so alone in this need anymore. Her palm is open to him, soft and silky, showing the lines that adorn her skin. He sneaks a look around them, checking that no one is privy to their impromptu caress. His fingers start to trace the paths on her skin; softly, delicately. He stares, almost reverent and trancelike at the way her fingers react to what he's trying to communicate. Subtle movements; warmth suddenly emanating and getting to him, as goose bumps rise on the delicate skin of her wrist.

In his books, he would write that time seemed to stop around Nikki and Rook. The chatter of the precinct would disappear, the minutes slowing, leaving them in their own bubble of desire for one another. In reality, that's exactly how it happens, and it leaves him speechless. What power does this woman have over him, how can she make him lose track of the here and now?

And it's then, when a very familiar sound brings awareness back to their situation. The subtlest and breathiest sigh from her lips - a whisper that he's learned to savor, a noise that only comes from her when she's falling deep down the rabbit hole during some of their more heated explorations.

He meets her eyes again, now hooded and deep, enormous dark circles that speak of the arousal that he knows is swimming through her veins. He has to fight his own, this is not the place. She would kill him. Or would she? She's just as flustered as he is. The caress is not just a replacement for a kiss anymore, he feels like he's gradually sinking into a parallel universe with her.

"I could write pages and pages about this moment right now," he whispers, the tone of his voice coming as a surprise to him in the deep trance they've gotten themselves into.

"…And I would gladly read every chapter of that book." Her voice comes out raw, breaking in a shuddery breath.

"I'd whisper it to you," he promises as he leans just a tad closer to her. He's almost able to pick up her warm aroma, soft and sweet, hidden under the tired smell of the precinct.

She smiles at him with that dreamy expression that he's learned is a part of Kate; not Detective Beckett, just Kate. This side is softer and whimsical, the one that hides behind the overpowering detective persona that she enjoys portraying.

This Kate is complicated but smiles like that make loving her so simple and essential.

Her eyes divert and a shuffle behind them brings them both back to reality. She mouths "later" to him as Ryan approaches, after pinning a couple of sheets to the murder board.

"The Lorenzo family tree - quite something. Thought it would help to sort out who we've gone through," Ryan starts, diligent. "So far we've talked to both grandsons, and the youngest son, Edecio. Adolfo is waiting and so is Jose, the third of Mr. Lorenzo's sons."

"Considering that two of his brothers live upstate and they're over seventy, I really wouldn't count them in as being the father of the child," chimes Esposito. "The third brother confided that he couldn't even if he wanted to… if you catch my drift," he says with a wink and a smile to Castle and Ryan.

"Well, that narrows the father suspect-pool down a notch," Beckett observes as she crosses the names off the family tree. "So, one of his sons has to be the father of this kid. How are we doing on the wives as possible suspects?"

"Margarita, Jose's wife, is a _Mulata_, so you can discard her," says Esposito, crossing her name out.

"Maybe we can suggest DNA testing to them…" Ryan says. "In any case if they have nothing to lose, they'd agree."

"We could," Kate says, a pessimistic tone lacing her voice. "Only that we already tried and they all refused. It's a catch. Whoever killed Mandy does not have Lorenzo's DNA."

"Well, Mrs. Graciela seems the way to go. She might be the one with motive if we're to believe that Mandy was having an affair with Adolfo," Castle elaborates, pointing to the woman's name on the diagram.

"It's still a bit circumstantial, we don't really have proof of that yet, but let's bring her in," she says, throwing a last consideration. "Maybe we can drill more details out."

"You know, I'd really like to know what Grandma thinks about this scenario," Castle adds, sparking her attention. "She's after all, the one that set the rules for this family. She's bound to have some opinion about her daughter-in-law… and it would be interesting to know what she really thought of Mandy."

"We really didn't get much out of her yesterday, she was pretty upset as you can imagine," Ryan informs with a grimace.

Beckett considers the situation for a minute.

"You know…" Esposito begins, suspicion in his voice. "Mrs. Maria Lorenzo is well into her years, grey hair and all… but I do think she was once a brunette."

"Could she?" Castle considers, a bit incredulous, but of the current suspects, these two women are the most likely to have motive.

"She wouldn't have Mr. Lorenzo's DNA…" Ryan points out.

"Maybe today she'd be able to cooperate a bit more to solve her husband's murder." Kate's face shows that she knows it might be a tough situation but it needs to be faced. "We'll take Adolfo while we bring them all in. You guys can tackle Jose in the meantime."

* * *

**So... I hope you're hanging around to follow this one. Part 6 is almost done, for reals! Plus being in the same room with Ky makes things so much easier to write! Is like having our own very deranged Writers room where we watch _Hunted, The X-Files, OUAT_ and _Castle_ for inspiration. We already decided how it would look if we actually had a space to write. Is fantastic.**

**We've done quite a lot of investigation for new fanfic ideas that keep brewing.  
**

**PLEASE review, follow, favorite, whatever suits your fancy... I love all of you that kept reviewing these past few weeks and all the nudges to keep going :)  
**


	6. Chapter 6: Family Business

**Happy Castle Monday, everyone! Also, Happy Holidays... **

**So here's the deal with part six. I wrote it all and it ended up being almost 30 pages long. But do not fear. My great beta, KyinHI and I found a great spot to give you a break and digest.  
**

**Having said that, the smutfest is coming in part 7... which is going to be posted immediately after the episode airs on PST time. So 2 updates in one day, that works for you, right?  
**

**On to the story.  
**

* * *

Ryan would pay half his salary to anyone who brought him a French dipped Pastrami Sandwich right about now, but they have to get to Jose's interrogation.

Adolfo and Jose had been waiting patiently while they got through everyone else and with lunchtime getting near, they surely wouldn't want angry men barking a statement at them. Better get it out of the way, Ryan considers; lunch can wait.

If he had only packed some of that Eggplant Parmesan, he thinks, relishing the memory of the savory concoction that he's sure Jenny will finish off before he gets home tonight. Hmm, he should give her a call soon, before he forgets tomorrow's messages.

He knows that if he goes with this one, he could be blowing his cover just a tiny bit, but then again the messages are meant to strike close to home at some point. Wisdom drops, or well, doodles.

"Thank you for your patience, Jose." Esposito starts as they settle inside the interrogation room. "Have you had some coffee? Our machine is pretty good."

"Nah, thanks. I take a _Cortadito_ a day around 4:30pm and only from the place down by my shop." Jose says, dismissing the offer.

"You have an Auto Body Shop, right?" Ryan intervenes, checking the notes they have on the man.

"Yeah, 'Golden Age Auto Body' - old cars, restoration stuff – we take any car from the 30's to the 80's and get them to their original glory." He states it proudly, a smile on his face.

"That's a very different business from your dad's…" Esposito queries.

"Yeah, the truth is that none of us was into his practice. We all grew up with it; we know our share of medical stuff, what cures _empache_, what to do for a bad fever, how to spot the pox. It rubs off on you, you know?" His expression shifts slightly, a sadder tone. "The truth is that none of us is really prepared to take over the pharmacy."

"According to your son, you'd be the one to inherit the control over it, right?" Ryan asks, wanting to dive right into it.

"Yes, and we had been talking about a transition, a few months ago, when Pops started to show his age. He started to get a little worried about it, he only had that poor girl to help him out, and I felt bad..." A sense of guilt plagues the man's voice and features, thick with a mix of regret and contained emotion. "That pharmacy had been one of his biggest accomplishments, besides our family; it shamed me that none of us took after him to continue his legacy. Especially since he and Mom put so much importance on it."

"We hear that Mrs. Lorenzo is quite the stickler when it comes to that." Esposito continues the interrogation dance.

"Yeah, with her it is all about traditions," he confirms. "When I got married to a Latin American woman she was very happy, same when we had our boy."

"Seems like you did them right… not like Adolfo." Ryan takes a chance, there has to be a way to push someone to shed light onto their suspicions.

"Well, he tried. It's just, you know," says the man, and Ryan can see that he truly feels bad for his sibling. "He wasn't as lucky when it came to continuing the family name, being the _Primogenito_ and all that."

"That must have brought some grief…" Esposito comments.

"Yeah, it's been tough on them. And she's not an easy woman;" the man says, rolling his eyes in mild frustration. "She's very feisty, opinionated. I think the fact that she's Adolfo's wife makes her think that she has a higher status over the rest of the in-laws… that's been an issue all the time."

"How does she get along with your folks?" Esposito asks.

"She makes sure to be on my mother's good side at all times."

"But she didn't like Mandy, did she?" Ryan wants to steer it to the home plate, bring it in full to their theory.

"Well Mom and Graciela weren't all that fond of her but…" Jose realizes where they're going with this and stops in his tracks. "Wait. You don't think Graciela or my mom did this, right? How could you think that?"

"Look, Jose. We're just trying to cover our basis here…" Esposito begins, stopping the meandering. "I'm gonna lay the cards out for you, we don't want to waste any time and we're following the leads. Mandy was pregnant… from a member of your family, something that would have angered your mother, or your sister-in-law…"

Jose shakes his head in disbelief.

"She would be out of the picture, with another woman having Adolfo's kid," Ryan continues with their exposition. "Unless you want to tell us that the kid was yours."

"No, No. I'd never cheat on my wife!" Jose snaps, anger boiling close to surface.

"So how about Adolfo? Would he?" Ryan probes and the man looks at him with a mix of anger, disbelief and fear. His world has been shaken hard in the past few hours. He gets up from his seat and paces slowly, deep in thought. The pair of detectives trade looks and let him take this moment. No need to push if this man is going to lead them to something important.

Jose rubs his stubble and stops his pacing, hands on hips and a sense of defeat in the slump of his shoulders.

"Look, I can't vouch for my brother, but what I can tell you is that Mandy or not, Graciela was or is bound to be out of the picture pretty soon." Ryan senses that maybe this information was not something that was supposed to be public.

"Why is that?" Esposito picks up on the reticence, curiosity in his eyes.

"Adolfo and I, we went out for beers about three weeks ago." Jose tells them, pulling the chair away from the table and trying to settle into his seat again. He's frustrated and Ryan can see it so clearly; he's breaking a code.

"He'd gotten himself a lawyer," Jose continues. "Things are bad between them and he has reached his limit. No one knows, because Mama would not be happy about it, 'Old School Catholic' and all. So, he was planning to just keep it under wraps as much as he could."

"And as for Mandy, I don't know, man," Jose states as a last straw. "I certainly didn't do her, and she wasn't Adolfo's type…"

* * *

"Are you ready?" Castle says, handing her the folder with the gathered information for Adolfo Lorenzo and her blue cup; steam emanating from her coffee. She's listening the last of Jose's interrogation from the observation room.

"Yeah, thanks." She takes his offering, watching intently her two partners as they try to gather as much personality profile as they can. Any detail she can learn from Adolfo's situation will help her break this puzzle. It frustrates her that they have to attack this case from two fronts, the father of the baby and the killer. But they trust that both are so intrinsically related, one will give out the other for sure.

"Are you ok?" Castle's voice brings her out of her inner dialogue.

"Yeah, just... you know… getting 'in the zone,'" she responds with a confident smile taking a sip of her cup and he smiles back at her; a mix of pride and excitement.

They've spent over four years together. Their close dynamic doesn't come without a deep knowledge of one another. She knows that this is one his favorite moments before a cross examination; the way she preps herself for their strategy, the hunt, the adrenaline of possibly breaking a case in the next hour. She also knows that most of the time it won't happen that easily. Cases are often resolved out on the field, during a heated session of theories being thrown at the murder board, the lucky break that only comes when working as a team. This is what they do best.

He also knows now, that she enjoys proudly how his mind works when they hit spots like these. Her "aphrodisiac" he'd said, their last night in the Hamptons. And she has to agree. It has to be some kind of drug and it undoes them both.

"Do you still like him for the father of Mandy's baby?" He says breaking her a little bit out of her reverie.

"Now more than ever." She's ready.

* * *

Adolfo Lorenzo seems to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders; he sits slouched and tired on the metal chair of the interrogation room. Castle feels for him. He just lost his father and has been waiting for them to get around to this interrogation.

He doesn't want to share just yet his impression of the man with Kate, just in case he gets blamed again for jumping to unfounded conclusions, but as much as this guy seems like the most logical candidate to have been in a relationship with Mandy, there's something off. It just seems too straightforward. But he'll give it to her; go with the natural motion of the evidence, of what the case is telling them to do. He'll try his outlandish approach later, when he's sure that they've hit the usual wall.

No case is ever resolved before they feel like they're stuck in a hole. It's the classic Hero Arc, he thinks. Every case that they work at could fit on a three-act arc so easily, with its turning points and cliffhangers, calls for action, moments of desperation and the valiant rise to success at the end; even if those endings are sometimes bittersweet.

And they've had way too many of those. He'd like for those to be part of the past and move on to better and happier endings, but how can you have those when you work in a homicide department?

She's right when she said that even in the worst of times there's the possibility for joy; and he knows how much joy justice brings to her. He wishes though that people rationalized justice at the same level that they had grown to understand.

For some people justice will never be enough, and he can see it on Adolfo's face. The distraught man carries sadness that he's seen in Beckett's face in her most depressive states. When she's allowed him to dig deeper into the array of feelings that plague her, when her basic impulses make her forget that she's matured in her grief; that she can look past the frustration and go at this pain in a more intelligent way.

As they settle into what he knows will be a tough interrogation, he wants to make sure that Kate knows she's not alone in a situation that might be hard on her as well. The death of a parent will always plague her. He wants to hold her hand through this, but he knows better. Not only would it be a ridiculous action she might also chop it off at the insinuation that she can't do this by herself.

But there are other ways that they've found to reassure themselves. And he plans to make use of them. He will not let her fall down that rabbit hole again… 'Count Backwards – Narrate Forward' comes back to his mind. He finds that the message on their coffee applies to this as well. Find a way to move on without having the weight of the world and past experiences drag them backwards. Just learn from them. Find the rationality in them.

And right now, Adolfo Lorenzo is not going to be rational about any part of this situation. His emotions are too raw for a controlled response, and as cold blooded as it sounds, this might be their greatest advantage.

"Mr. Lorenzo, let me start by saying how sorry we feel for the death of your father." Kate begins, setting a confident tone to her voice. Castle darts his eyes between the man and his muse. "I know this is a very difficult time for you and your family and I want you to know that we're working our best to find your father's killer."

Adolfo nods, calmly, eerily, almost in a trance. Kate trades a look with Castle. He thinks that maybe they've underestimated this man's grief after having interrogated other members of the family; his mood should comply with his brother's and nephews. This man is definitely different and there has to be a reason for it.

"We're going to talk about your father in a moment," Kate continues, and Castle takes a moment to gauge her words on him, her voice steady and secure. "But right now you have to understand that we're also trying to solve Mandy's murder as well."

The man doesn't even flinch. If he'd been having a relationship with the young woman, he surely was detached from any feelings. Could this be different than what they've imagined? Maybe he's involved as well? Could he have taken part in this plan? And why?

"I'm sure that you know by now that we've been investigating among the members of your family for a person that might have been in a relationship with her-" Kate tries to lead the conversation further but Adolfo cuts her off.

"Look, don't waste your time trying to pin this so called relationship on me; I'm not the father of that child." The man shouts, on edge, no space left for patience or diplomacy. Kate flinches just so very slightly, recovers herself and is about to follow through when Castle grabs her hand to intervene.

He finds her eyes and they trade a silent permission to veer this interrogation a slightly different way. 'Go deeper into this hole, together,' he thinks.

* * *

Ryan and Esposito observe from behind the glass. Adolfo has gotten up from his seat and leans against the back wall.

"This dude knows something." Esposito points out, sipping from his coffee.

"Isn't that like your fifth coffee today?" Ryan observes.

"Are you gonna police my caffeine intake too?" Javier says, slightly annoyed. "I'm no Jenny, you know? No cleanse for me."

"Just looking out for the rest of us… before you bite our heads off," Ryan warns him, with a tight lipped smile.

"Nonsense." Silence takes over again between the two partners as they continue to observe.

"_So you knew that she was pregnant?"_ They hear Castle question Adolfo. Ryan sees how the writer studies the man, his words filling the silence that followed the previous outburst.

"_Yes. Papá had mentioned it to me,"_ Adolfo admits, arms crossed, protecting himself. _"He had taken a liking to the girl, not the way you might think, but I don't know the whole story. He became very protective of her. He said that he had more than one reason."_

"_And what would those be?"_ It's Beckett's turn to ask. In tandem, Ryan appreciates. They're good at this, these two.

"_This matter only came to conversation a few weeks ago,"_ Adolfo continues, a tone of defeat in his voice while he lets down his guard just a tad. _"I watched him leave the house after a big fight with Mamá. He didn't explain much, but we all knew. He'd finally found someone that got him." _

Castle motions Adolfo to take a seat again. Calm down the witness, textbook strategy. He takes the invitation and slowly comes back to them; Beckett seems relieved that the man has returned to his previous stance.

"_Mandy and he shared many things, including how passionate they felt about their job, as boring as it sounded to people."_ Adolfo cards a hand through his hair. He's tired and has trouble meeting the couple's eyes. 'They better be taking advantage of this.' Ryan thinks as he hears the man complete his thoughts. _"A couple of us thought she would end up inheriting the pharmacy if it were up to my dad alone."_

"_That would disrupt the plan of your family's legacy, right?"_ Beckett asks, her tone more understanding than accusatory.

"_Yes. But those plans already were disrupted. I was supposed to get the pharmacy, and I'm not. My mom's obsession with that legacy is already halfway extinct." _The demeanor between Castle and Beckett has taken a step back to letting the witness expose as much as he can, let him talk._ "My father's idea of legacy rested more in the heart of it than just simply the family's name on a title."_

And then he sees it. Kate's hand on Castle's leg; It's brief but it's there - a signal between them.

"_Did your father seriously consider having Mandy take over the business?"_ She asks and Ryan tries to gauge Esposito. Did he see it as well? Can't they control themselves? They surely know that they are being watched.

"_Not seriously spoken, but we all knew that all that training and time spent with her wasn't just in vain."_ Adolfo answers, and Castle and Beckett continue their game of tandem permissions to interject. This time it's a graze of his elbow to her side, and he sees the smirk in Esposito. If he's not onto them by now, the gears in his head will be clicking away to realization pretty soon.

They're usually like this, a great team, good at reading the next steps of the interrogation of a suspect even when they shift strategy in the middle of the game, but this is going a bit further, as if they're sneaking closeness while they know the audience is limited.

"_Do you think this was the motive of their fight?"_ Kate continues the interrogation.

"_I only got so much out of my dad that day. I should have pushed for more, but the truth is that he was being cagey himself." _Mr. Lorenzo had his secrets as well then. This might have more levels than they had anticipated. _"He said that he'd talk to me in due time. That will never happen now."_

Ryan can see the guilt in the man's eyes; frustration boiling in his veins, of things he should have done and didn't, thinking that tomorrow there would be another day, another opportunity to come back to this. Little did he know that his father's cards had been drawn.

"_We've asked other members of your family about your mother's relationship with Mandy…" _Castle veers in the natural direction that the conversation leads them. There was more than a slight discomfort in the couple's relationship. Good call, Ryan appreciates. "_How about_…_your wife's relationship with her?"_

"A double question? Hold your horses, Castle. That's amateur." Ryan hears Esposito's warning.

"Let's see where it takes him." Ryan is confident in his friend. The writer knows more than they often give him credit for, more than the offbeat goofiness he's known for, waters run deep in the bard.

"_You already know that they didn't get along." _Adolfo says, mildly outsmarting the push from his interrogator._ "I never knew mother's reasons, the rational ones at least, and I know that my wife doesn't get along with many people as well..."_ Adolfo's eyes roll, he's dreading talking about his wife and this is important._ "That doesn't make her a killer, though. If it did, she would have killed a bunch of us already."_

"_We know that you're filing for divorce. Could that have made her especially angry at your dad and his plans?"_ Kate lets the cat out of the bag. Lays the cards. Pushes and nudges in the proper time.

"_I see that Jose can't keep his mouth shut."_

"_Your brother was only being honest." _She assures him.

"_The important part of this is if you can vouch for your wife… and yourself."_ He knows why Castle is doing this. He wants this man to lay down the guard just enough for him to understand that covering up won't help him, and including him in the threat will do just so. Disarm him.

"_This is ridiculous! You can't honestly think I'm also involved in this!" _Adolfo shouts.

"He took that bait nice and easy…" Esposito recognizes.

"_That morning I was packing up my things and moving them to a storage unit by my place. You can check if you want."_ Castle and Beckett trade looks. Sure enough they'll be able to check that alibi, Ryan thinks.

"_How about Graciela?"_ Kate digs… one step closer, and he imagines that this must be how tigers brace to make the last stab and jump a gazelle. Adolfo lets out a tired sigh and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"_We'd gotten in a fight during the night when she saw me start packing up. She left at six am for work."_

Kate looks at Castle and there's a slight knowing smile on his face. They might be right after all if this woman can't confirm her whereabouts.

"I think they just about got all they're gonna get from him" Esposito says, dismissing the menial chatter that follows the last exchange in the interrogation room.

"She better have a solid alibi with all of this piling up on her."

"You up for it?" Esposito asks with a sly smirk "…Or do you want to sit back and let 'Touchy and Feely' in there take the stage?"

It would be so easy laugh and spill what he knows, but not yet, not just yet. He'll play dumb and just shakes his head at his partner. Is not like they haven't been close before, and he could always blame it on that. This is not the time to get into the gossip that's been entertaining him to no end. He scoffs and turns around towards the door.

"I'll bring her right into room two," he says on his way out. They better cool it, before he can't stop the tease fest that Esposito will provide.

* * *

"Did you hear all of that?" Kate asks Esposito as he joins them by the murder board. They'd released Adolfo and Castle had walked him to the coffee machine, wanting to ease the man before sending him off.

"Yeah, he checks out," Javi informs her and she can see the mild annoyance on her friend's features. "The storage complex manager has him on the check -in list from their security gate."

"So that's another one off the list. On both of them." She crosses Adolfo's name from the family tree.

"So that takes us back to Mom and the disgruntled soon-to-be ex," Javier points out and then is when she focuses on the square right next to Adolfo's name.

"What about this space? Are we missing someone?" She's curious, sloppiness is not like Ryan.

"Oh no. That's another of Mr. Lorenzo's sons. Enrique Lorenzo," he informs, nonchalant. "He doesn't live in town, though. Apparently he's the black sheep of the Lorenzo children. Saxophone player from a Salsa group currently out on tour through South America."

"When was the last time he visited?"

"According to the youngest son, about five months ago, that he can remember. He doesn't keep in touch with the family, only briefly with the sisters and sometimes checked in with his dad. It would be a something to probe if you want to knock on every door, but seems unlikely… being completely detached from the family and all."

"We're certainly running out of doors…" Kate points out, pursing her lips as she watches their investigation scribbled on the board. "Have we got anything on Graciela's alibi according to her husband?"

"Her Easypass has her coming into the city at 6:20am, but after that we got nothing," Esposito says leaning against her desk.

"I'm sure we can get more info on it once we talk to her." Kate doesn't have a clear picture of it all. As it is, all they have are random roads that don't lead to a clear path of why this murder even happened.

"Well, I think he'll be alright." Castle's voice brings her back from her reverie.

"Did he calm down?" The man had been terribly distraught by the end of the interrogation. Not spending more time with his father and not being able to satisfy what had once been his wishes, plummeted him into a deep sense of guilt that had rendered him into a sobbing mess.

She had seen men crumble in front of her before, over the loss of a lover, the loss of their freedom, but it was always the loss of a parent that made her the most sensitive. It was then that she had to push back her own feelings and remember that regardless of her own tragedy, this moment was about the victims. She had to brave it out.

Now, she wasn't riding this wave alone.

"The down side is that we ran into Graciela as I was walking him out of the break room." He throws her a grimace and then signals to Esposito, "Ryan's got her. I'd watch out, she bites." The men trade knowing smirks that Castle accentuates, mocking cat claws. Kate cannot help but join in the amusement, if ever so briefly.

"That's how I like 'em, feisty," declares the Latino detective as he gathers his folders from his desk. Kate rolls her eyes, her disregard broken by the sound of her stomach growling and Castle's amused face at her body's involuntary admittance.

"I'm going to order us some lunch from downstairs," Castle announces, stifling a snicker. "What do you say? Some slices from Joe's?"

"Count us in; we'll join you after we finish with the wife," Esposito says as he leaves on his way to the interrogation room. Castle turns to her, smiling calmly.

"I'll be right back." He grabs his coat from the back of his chair, donning it in one quick swift movement. Kate looks at him as he goes about his business, and smiles at how much he cares, pampering them, providing for them. If it had been up to her, she would have gotten so into their investigation that she wouldn't be eating until her body protested and her head throbbed.

"Castle…?" she says, grabbing his elbow, stopping him.

"I know. No pizza for you, creamy pasticcio with fresh mozzarella and basil." He knows her so well that she can't fight the hundred-watt grin that escapes her lips. She looks around her and most of the bullpen is sizzling with activity, no one focusing on their investigation, no one looking at them right now. She slides her hand down his sleeve, 'accidentally' grazing his hand; she needs the contact, just a quick fix.

"… And an Orange Italian Soda?" He completes the sentence with a slight hitch in his voice, fingers doing a brief dance with hers before they separate. She doesn't know if it's the fact that she's so hungry but she's mesmerized by his smile right now, and by his eyes that, even though now seem a little tired, shine so blue back at her.

She lifts her right hand and fixes one of the shirt lapels that had folded in a funny angle after he donned his jacket. "I got it right, did I?" he says and she can see him swallow a bit forcefully, his Adam's apple bobbing, one of his tells. She wonders if he's also 'starving' like her.

Kate puts space between them with a smile.

"Feed me, Castle, before your gloating gets on my nerves." And before she can't control herself.

"Yes, my lady." He winks at her and darts out, leaving her staring at him as he clumsily rushes to the elevator.

"Detective Beckett, a word?" Gates requests as she peeks out of her office and Kate wonders if maybe she was too careless about their exchange. She walks into the woman's office, sheepishly clearing her throat, but the captain doesn't even lift her gaze from the pile of papers she's going through.

"Can you bring me up to speed on the Lorenzo case?" Gates asks, all business, as she continues her perusal and signals her to sit. "Did we get anything from the round of interrogations?" She finally sets down her work and looks at Beckett.

"We're weeding out the details; right now we have two possible suspects," Beckett explains. "Mrs. Maria Lorenzo, the victim's wife and Mrs. Graciela Lorenzo-Espinoza, the wife of one of the sons."

"That covers the Lorenzo's side. How about Mandy's background?" Gates doesn't seem annoyed but rather curious.

"Mr. Lorenzo was actually registered as her next of kin," Kate informs her and she can see that Gates knows what that means, not that many ways to proceed on that angle. "Sealed Juvee file, no known acquaintances, everything appears pretty normal after she turned eighteen, community college, a couple of double shifts, a credit card with a $500 credit limit about to max out, no known family, foster child. It seems like her job and her studies were all that she had."

"What's the Juvee about?" Gates is curious.

"Most of them were petty burglary and such, nothing that stands out as a violent streak. Seems like it was more a necessity to get her by when she ran away from her foster homes."

"What about the family's opinion of her?" Kate can't blame her boss to follow their same avenues.

"Ryan and Esposito are just sitting with Graciela. So far everything we have is circumstantial, nothing that screams smoking gun to any of us." Kate adds the latest, and Gates nods, some frustration showing on her features.

"And the mother?"

"She's coming in later tonight." Kate already knows the captain will frown at the time this is taking.

"Why the delay?" Gates' definitely not amused.

"Mrs. Lorenzo is caught in funeral arrangements," Kate informs and she knows that her boss would rather that these folks strolled through her precinct faster than they can get to them. "We figured that taking an 'understanding' approach would go better, especially with the size of this family. Better to have them on our side as much as we can while we probe. It will get ugly fast enough."

"So you're convinced that is one of them?" Kate would like to respond to her with full certainty but she can't do it right now. She only has that feeling, the years of experience that tell her that while on a murky road, she's on the right road.

"It is what my instincts tell me..." She concedes, knowing that is not what Gates wants to hear. "We just have to find the evidence to back it up." She meets her eyes, and there are some moments when Kate swears that the older woman has finally begun to read her like her previous boss had… like one of her best friends had. "Sir, I know it's there. We just need to untangle this web."

"Fair enough, Detective," Gates says, letting her out of the loop and letting her know that it's fine to leave her office. "Keep me up to speed after you're done with the mother and Esposito and Ryan finish with the in-law."

Kate regards her with a tight-lipped smile, making her way to the door.

"Oh, and please tell Detective Ryan to come by my office when he's done," Gates says as she's almost out, and Kate recoils.

"Is anything the matter, sir?" She tries not to sound worried, or curious.

"Nothing all that important, just some loose ends on the Hamptons drug cartel bust." Gates tone is nonchalant, she shouldn't worry, but she does.

"Sure, sir. I'll let him know."

She doesn't know what this will be about but she cannot stop her pulse from racing in anticipation and anxiety; fear of what this conversation could be about.

* * *

**A/N: As always, my undying love and hugs to Ky, who is not only the greatest beta but also the most amazing friend. She introduced me to Castle, she's guilty of my inability to stop marathoning the show (I'm on my 19th rewatch since June) - She also made me feel part of her fantastic family, dogs, cat, bunny and all!**

**Don't worry, we'll eventually get our writer's room, our Keurig will be at hand, not this nonsense of having to move from our desks to get a caffeine fix!  
**

**And to you all, THANK YOU SO MUCH for the reviews. Please leave me more. I'm unemployed right now so this is my currency! I suspect that Part 7 will spark some opinions, but I'd love to hear you opinion of the case. If you have any requests, let me know! I'm happy to obligue if I can manage :)  
**


	7. Chapter 7: Break a Rule

**How about the fluffy goodness that Santa brought tonight?! I have the most stupidest grin on my face and no matter how crappy my X-mas turns out to be and these 5 weeks will be oh so hard to bear, you can't help all the fuzzy warm feelings this episode provoked.  
**

**So as promised, here's part 7. **

**This is M-rated, people. Like 6 pages of M-rated goodness.  
**

**There are some references that just pushed their way into this, because I was running my marathon while writing, and then for you X-Philes out there... there's a couple of obscure references that if you're an old school fan, I'm sure you'll get them. If you don't, PM me, I'm glad to clarify!**

**Now, on to today's update.  
**

* * *

Castle finds her in the observation room, her eyes intent while Javier and Kevin cross-examine Graciela.

"Food is in the conference room," he says, leaning against the desk behind her. Her arms are crossed, protectively, her head bowed down just slightly, like she does when she's deep in thought. "Anything interesting?" he probes; he knows something has changed, something's up.

"She lawyered up," Kate responds, her eyes still fixed on the scene before her. "The boys are just waiting for the counselor to arrive."

"Any particular reason?" This is expected; he could have seen that coming, especially with the attitude the woman had the minute that Ryan took her into the interrogation room. This shouldn't be a surprise to her.

"The minute we asked for her alibi she started screaming a plethora of obscenities in Spanish that Javi responded right back at her… so yeah, no particular reason." She finally rests her body beside him, letting some of her tension seep out of her body as she joins his personal space.

"So the boys are dilly-dallying?" He strokes her back, lazily, tenderly, and she relaxes into his touch, rolling her head and sighing, calming whatever anxiety has her in such state of discomfort.

"Pretty much." She turns to him, eyes still stormy but she gives him a calmer smile. "Come on, I'm hungry." She gets up and knocks on the glass, Esposito signals with his hand that they'll be out in a few. "I said I'd let them know when you were back."

He follows her stride just a few steps behind; he loves watching her walk in those heels, powerful, a sign of how much strength she has. And he knows that she knows what they do to him, the memory of a couple of nights come freshly to mind, how he had pleaded with her to leave them on just a bit longer while he admired her toned legs as she undressed for him.

They reach the conference room and she opens the boxes, the rich aroma of herbs and hearty food filling his nostrils. She quickly reaches for a bite.

"Careful. It's piping hot," he warns as she quickly blows over the portion of food on her fork. They settle quietly, as he grabs his own slice of pizza, and she digs into her meal, eliciting brief moans at her appreciation of the food in front of her.

She seems better but is still distant; her mind is somewhere and he doesn't want to push. She hasn't voluntarily shared with him whatever it is that's bothering her, but he wants her to know that this situation has to be a two way street. If there's anything that's troubling her, she should be able to open up, to share the burden.

"Is anything the matter?" he asks when the silence becomes too much and he fears that the boys will join them before he gets to address her mood.

"Gates called me into her office." Hmm. There it is.

"And…" he coaxes.

"She didn't say anything but…" She continues stabbing the tomatoes and the fresh mozzarella. "She wants to talk to Ryan, apparently there are some loose ends with the Hampton's case." She completes the sentence with a grimace. He knows now what she's afraid of. This will haunt their minds until it is out in the open.

"Did you tell him already?"

"No, I figured I'd wait until they're done with Graciela." She steals a swig of his iced tea.

"Did she tell you what it was about?" He's trying not to sound concerned; she's already taking care of all the worry for the both of them.

"No, but I couldn't ask, could I? I wasn't involved in that case." Her tone is close to a bark, a hushed one, but a bark nonetheless.

"Kate, it could be anything from an unsigned report to Chief Brady not releasing all the evidence…" He wants to come up with a number of excuses, but chances are that some of the details from their botched weekend getaway might linger more than they would want them to.

"I know, I know," she says, her guard coming down. "I'd just feel better if this whole thing was laid to rest."

"You know that won't happen until everyone knows about us." He knows he doesn't need to voice that, but this is a conversation that will repeat itself, no matter what they do, no matter how much they try to hide it.

"I know I said we need this time in the dark," Kate's whispers to him, her brow wrinkled and a little exasperated, that expression he'd once said was cute but dangerous. "I know we've just started at this, and just dodged this close call with the Hamptons case, I know it's been just a couple of days... but, it's just becoming too hard…" she finishes, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"You're telling me." He can't help but wink at her, trying to lighten the mood.

"Castle!" she scolds; eyes wide while she tries to hide her own amusement.

"I'm just saying that it won't get any easier…" he continues, briefly sobering up the mood, honesty the best that he can give her right now. "Hell, restraining myself from watching you sometimes is the hardest thing to do. I feel like my face will betray me."

"It does," she says with a tender smile that disarms him.

"Have you been gazing at me, Katherine Beckett?" She's going to make this hard if she continues with this cute flirting she's taken up as a pastime.

"No more than the fair amount of creepy staring that you do, Richard Castle." He snickers at her feigned statement. The mood is calmer at least, she's better and that's all he can ask for.

"Do you want me to talk to Kevin?" he asks, maybe he needs to start coming clean, gradually negotiating their situation.

"No!" she responds, hushed, startled. "No. I don't want to bring more attention to us."

"Kate, if he knows, he's been playing us…" They should be able to stop the nonsense if this it's what's happening, and he suspects it is.

"And if he doesn't, we'll be blowing our cover." She's right, they cannot risk if it's not the case, but this game is getting to be too much of a burden when all he wants to do is to tell everyone to fuck off and let them be.

"Yeah, but…" He's about to object when the boys come barging into the room.

"Man, that smells good," Ryan appreciates, opening one of the pizza boxes.

"Lawyer get here?" Kate asks casually between bites.

"Yeah, they asked for an hour," Esposito says between bites.

"That's a rather long meeting for someone that doesn't have anything to hide." Castle wonders, maybe this woman does have a brush tail about to catch on fire.

"I think the better part of that time will be spent calming _Gracielita_ from her crazy ways," Esposito predicts, amused at the volatile character of their suspect. "Man, that woman, no wonder Adolfo is running for the hills!"

"I don't care how much time they want, I certainly appreciate the down time; I was dying in there," Ryan confesses, scarfing down the cheesy goodness.

"Yeah man, you better put a leash on that growler you got there, at one point I didn't know if it was coming from her screams or your stomach." Javier laughs at his pun and Ryan can't reply fast enough with a full mouth.

"Don't get too comfy, Ryan. Gates wants to talk to you," Beckett announces, sobering up the mood.

"Woo… what did you do now?" Esposito teases his partner and Castle wonders if he could also know. If Ryan knows anything, the most natural thing between them would be to share; it has happened in the past. They cannot keep a secret between them.

"Nothing," Ryan responds, swallowing hard, and Castle wonders if he can push a flinch out of his friend, seize what he knows.

"She said it was something about the Hamptons case," he informs and that earns him a pinch on his thigh, Kate's eyes turn into daggers that he tries to avoid. "I'm sure it's nothing, right? Some T's to be crossed?" He says it in a calming tone, casual, like there's nothing to fear.

"Yeah, I'm sure…" Ryan responds, and Castle swears there's a slight battle in the Irish detective's eyes. Could he be attempting to throw a warning at him?

He's getting ready to reply with a smart-ass comment when he feels the warm and wet weight of Kate's lunch land on his lap. He jumps off his chair, trying to clean the mess from his slacks.

"Oh damn, I'm a mess today," Kate laments with an exaggerated tone and he knows she did it on purpose. She gives her back to the boys to help him and her whole facial expression is a myriad of threats that speak through the tight purse of her lips and the angry look that she sneaks at him.

"That's gonna leave an awful stain, bro," Esposito points out.

"I think we have a tub of antibacterial in the storage closet," Kate points out to Castle.

"I don't need disinfecting…" he says genuinely confused.

"The alcohol cleanser, Castle. It will take the stain out right now. Come on, I'll help you find it," she says, sternly.

"Yeah… that will be helpful," he says, still surprised at the sudden reaction from her, accepting the offer and but getting the message. She's either going to kill him, maul him or… maybe this could turn out to be fun.

* * *

They leave fast; Beckett is almost pushing Castle out of the room and Ryan is sure that she's caught his eye battle with the writer.

"I'd like to buy a vowel…" Esposito comments, and he wonders how much he'll be able to fool his partner and avoid entertaining his suspicions. These two are not making it easy to protect them from prying eyes.

"Attention deficit?" he jokes at Beckett's clumsiness. "I better see what the Captain wants," he says throwing the outer crust into the box.

"Hey, you're wasting the best part!" Esposito protests as he grabs the strip of crusty dough, dips it in the ranch dressing and chows it down.

"Hey, be my guest if you want my leftovers…" Ryan says, half amused at Javier's voracity.

"Funny, funny man," Esposito responds with a 'Don't you dare' look and tossing a crumpled napkin at him that he manages to dodge.

As Ryan grabs the notes from his desk, he catches Beckett pushing Castle into the storage closet by lock up. He shakes his head, 'they're gonna get caught,' he thinks, and they're making it too easy. Maybe that's what they want, or maybe that's what _Castle_ wants. He's sure that Beckett knows very clearly what's at stake, and the writer's eagerness might be the one thing that might be disturbing her desire to be cautious.

He shakes his head. Better not delay, better bite the bullet and see what Gates wants, better pray that she hasn't learned about 'Castle's additional helper.'

* * *

"What are you doing?" he asks, still surprised at her eagerness.

"I could ask the same to you?" She's stabbing his chest with her finger. Whoa, she's mad. "What did we say? Do not feed the animals!" She continues, pushing him against the back shelf, rattling bottles of floor wax and Windex in the process.

"I said nothing! If anything it was Ryan's reaction that was really suspicious." He tries to defend himself from her accusations but he knows, he taunted Ryan, fine, guilty. She's going to bite his head off, he better divert her attention. He tries to scrape the mix of béchamel and meat sauce from the fabric but he knows that this will take some serious dry cleaning. "Look at this; this is never going to come off."

"The stain… or the pants?" He lifts his gaze back to her when he hears the tone of her voice transform from her previous annoyance to a sultrier one; her face is not sporting the inflamed vein on her forehead anymore. Kate Beckett is letting her aroused face show, front and center. He lets a snicker escape his lips, slowly. Her teeth nip her lips as he closes the small distance that she's put between them, her breath hitching in her chest, her look becoming feral, hungry, incredibly sexy.

He thought he was going to be the one losing all control today, but there it is. She's as desperate as he is; she needs him as much as he needs her.

"I should have known that there was an ulterior motive to this sudden bout of… slippery fingers." His lets his fingers travel from her cheek to her slender and delicate digits, interlacing, caressing. His eyes roam her features and he loves how she gradually transforms in front of him, how she can't help herself; pupils widening, eyelids heavy, lips parted, breathing labored.

"Yeah, to stop you from giving them clues…" she manages to respond, her voice breathy, hot air caressing his lips. He's so close to her that every syllable makes her lips graze his in the most delicate of ways. "Plus, I think it's your turn to get slippery… fingers." Her lips curve into a wicked smile. She has her witchy ways, and they're exclusively aimed to make him lose all control.

"Hmm, will I? Get… slippery fingers?" he murmurs against her cheek as he kisses his way to her earlobe, licking the edge, leaving a wet path that he extends behind her ear and by her hairline, raising goose bumps down her neck, sucking on the hollow of her collar bone.

She moans and the vibration plays against his lips like Morse code. 'Invade me, touch me, like this' he thinks her body is trying to scream of its own accord, but he keeps his hands to himself, delaying total connection as much as he can. Tease her, he thinks, make her crave.

"It depends, if you play this game good and fast," she murmurs. The imagery of Kate's wet folds makes him light headed. Or it could be the ammonia fumes of the cleaning supplies in this cramped room. Her hands reach for his shirt, releasing it from the waistband of his pants; she's determined to make this happen. It amazes him that only a few seconds ago he thought she was going to kill him.

"Have you heard of the 'pick two' diagram?" He knows he's about to get annoying with the chatter, but getting her to carry out a conversation while having the hottest sex, and in the precinct of all places, it's been a fantasy of his… for a long time.

"I have…" she responds, and he swears that there's a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She likes this game as well.

"So, you do know that this means that it won't be some cheap feat." He's promised to himself, to have every variety of encounter with her; the fast and frantic ones that might seem to not have the same quality of attention as the slow and detailed ones… But for this one, she's aiming for good and fast. He knows this might mean that he'll be good and spent really soon.

"Oh I'm counting on it," she leers. He braces himself to the door, his hands to either side of her head as she continues their verbal foreplay, managing to unbutton his shirt, not ripping any buttons, and thank god because that would be hard to explain away. "I've never settled for subpar."

Kate rakes her nails down his chest until she reaches the sparse hairs on his lower abdomen, lingering there, caressing in circles that are maddening enough to make him loose it a little, make him buck his hips and grinds into her. He traps her hot hands that twist around to unbuckle his belt and unbutton his pants.

"I see, Detective." He grabs her by the neck, angling her jaw to his lips and directing his access. He wants to devour her lips, leave her breathless, and elicit all those little moans that he's swallowing for their own safety. "You've been wanting to find an excuse to bring me in here and act out a fantasy or two, haven't you?"

His own voice has become coarse, strained, his heartbeat making his breathing ragged and labored. She's cupping him through his pants, and it feels like hot, angry, luscious heaven.

"Castle…" she warns, but it's only a plea for him to carry on. His hands have found her shirt, and it slides off her shoulders, followed by the straps of her bra, the clasp of it not even putting up a fight to his nimble fingers. He throws the garment to their side, not caring where it lands; he'll deal with that later… because right now he'd rather occupy himself with the puckered peaks that are grazing his chest so deliciously.

"The storage closet. Good one," he murmurs against her lips. She runs her hands through his hair and her eyelids have long closed. She does this; he likes to think that she likes to relish in his voice, in the sounds that they make. His hands trail the sides of her torso, slowing just enough to graze the side of her breasts, and he feels her knees go weak. The skin is so delicate in his hands that it feels like it has never been touched. Even though he has basked in its softness, the silky texture of it, it's one of his favorite places and never fails to send electricity through his fingertips.

"Tell me," and he's genuinely curious, "how many times did you have to stop yourself from pushing me in here?"

"About the same amount of times…" Kate says as she slides her hand past the hemline of his boxers, grabbing his length and stroking him firmly. "That I had to come in here, by myself."

He doesn't know if it's her touch, pumping him at an exhilarating pace, or the image of Kate caressing herself in this room, admitting that her need was overwhelming enough to risk being caught red handed, that makes him growl against her skin. It's an animalistic sound he almost can't recognize. He wonders when did it start; what did she imagine he would do to her? Did she drive herself to a fast resolution thinking of his hands on her skin or did she take her time? Did she crave his hungry mouth drinking her in?

Whatever it is that Kate Beckett imagined, he wants this moment to become the only memory she would have now of this room. The memories of them, letting go, without a care of what's happening on the other side of the door, on the other side of the wall, outside in that dangerous world they've managed to conquer.

And then it hits him. This room is right next to lock up; would they be able to hear them? For some reason, the prospect of that makes it even more exciting.

"My pants, Castle. Undo my pants." He hears her demand; drawing him back from the depths of the wonderful trance her hand has driven him into. He doesn't skip a beat, maneuvering her pants and underwear past her hips, trying to not disturb her grip on him, because it feels so amazing.

She shimmies her way out of the puddle of clothes. Tunnel vision is beginning to set in and he has to stop her strokes before he can't control himself. He takes a step back, immediately regretting the loss of contact.

And then he realizes that she's now in front of him, completely naked and in those killer heels. Endless toned legs that he's enjoyed thoroughly, the mesmerizing view as they have hugged his waist during nights and mornings filled with the throws of their unbearable passion.

He licks his lips and takes a deep breath trying to regain composure.

It's her turn to be in trouble.

* * *

He's looking at her like he's about to devour her, like a lion staking his pray and she'll be damned, but she feels like her skin just got ten times warmer. He bites his lips, like he's fighting an impulse, and why would he? What is he waiting for?

"Castle, we don't have much time."

He trains his eyes on hers, intense, disarming her with that hungry look. He comes back into her space, holding the gaze, daring her to look away, and she's trying her best not to falter, to not miss one second of his want for her. His hands caress the front of her thighs and she wishes he would inch his way closer to her center. She needs more contact, some release to the buildup that his kisses have provoked in her; the overwhelming rush of blood, racing south and leaving her light headed.

His nose grazes her nose and his lips search hers, teasing, ghosting the soft skin, drinking her breath until she can't take it anymore and she lets her tongue caress his bottom lip. He takes lead of the kiss and his lips crush hers in a wet and overwhelming battle of wills; he bites and nips, soothes with his tongue. He invades her, and she invades him; her tongue caressing his, trying to go deeper, spiraling, and tasting him with delight. She knows he could be doing so much more to her but his lips are driving her insane. Just the right amount of insane.

Her body is thrumming; vibrating to a staccato that she knows it's a mix of need and the excitement of this encounter, the danger of being exposed. She knows she's joked about being wild, for the amusement that playing with his mind has provided her over the years but this is crossing a line, and she has no other person to blame but him. She was daring before, but Richard Castle has made her completely audacious, feral and wild.

The sounds of his moans and hers fill the room and she wonders if the noisy backdrop of the precinct will provide the cover their uncontrollable sounds. She's trying but it's getting harder by the minute. His body pushes her harder against the cold surface of the door and he raises her arms to lock her hands behind her head. Her chest is raised, offering to him a serving of her supple breasts that feel incredibly heavy right now, itching for his touch.

"What do you need?" His voice is husky and deep.

"I…" She tries to form a coherent sentence of all the thoughts that are swimming in her endorphin laced brain but his tongue is drawing a long and hot lap at her right breast, circling her nipple, suckling and nipping with the perfect pressure. She can't concentrate. She's on the border of pain and pleasure and she can't help the moan that escapes her lips, louder than it should. His fingers try to shush her lips and she takes one of them, licking and tasting. He plays dirty but so can she.

"Kate…" he warns, his voice almost enveloped in a dominant tone. She loves that tone; it makes her shiver with want. "You were saying?" he whispers, his voice silky and deep.

She makes a show of letting go of his finger, drawing a last lick around the tip and releasing it with a pop of her lips.

"Touch me, Castle." Her voice comes out harsh and needy, infused with an arousal so thick and heavy, like the pressure between her legs. "Touch me, until I can't remember my name."

Following instructions, that's something that Castle has gotten really good at. Behind are the days she had to brace herself for his foolish choices and disregard for authority.

His hands squeeze her breasts, pinching her nipples in unison, as if making a point. They roam downward, gripping her hips and his mouth follows the path down with him. She bites her lips, harder, so much she thinks she might draw blood. 'Don't moan, don't scream,' she wills herself. Keep it together.

She observes him, letting him take charge, as he angles her to his face. He licks his way downward, tasting the skin of her lower abdomen, nuzzling, breathing her scent. She's so aroused by this that the moistness between her legs and the blood that has rushed down are making her sex feel like it could burst at his touch. She's aware that her mind and previous fantasies have driven her to this state, and the wicked smile on his lips tells her that he must be imagining a million stories about her sensations right now. Even so, anything that any of their minds had imagined on their lonesome could not top the exhilarating feeling that envelops them now.

He's kneeling now, in front of her, separating her thighs, ready to dive in. The flat of his hand pushes on her pubic bone, and he blows ever so slowly, warm breath sparking its way through the crevices of her tender lips. She whimpers, her head falling to the side and her muscles growing weak as his fingers separate her folds; her heart races in anticipation.

A single digit dips into her wetness, travelling from her center to the bundle of nerves that he's exposed, so sensitive and alive.

"You weren't lying. Slippery is an understatement." Another finger and his thumb join in his exploration, and there's a wet sound that comes when he enters her; he probes, rubbing her in the most maddening rhythm.

He uses his free hand to steady her hips, and she needs it because when his lips start sucking greedily at her clit she thinks that she could jump out of her body.

"Shhh," he utters, his lips vibrating against her, continuing to lap and taste, his tongue caressing the bundle in steady grazes that are driving her so close to release.

She tries to hold on to the wall, but the smooth surface gives her no leverage. She looks down and the image of Castle, enjoying her, lips sucking on her skin, his smile melting what's left of her into an abstract puddle of desire; it makes her forget any worry, any reserve.

She tries to find support bracing to his shoulders, but it's not enough. Her fingers card through his hair, roughly, and his moan reverberates through her, again, making her skin explode in goose bumps that are only predicting the inevitable. Kate Beckett is on her way to seeing stars.

* * *

The writhing of her hips against his face and the sounds that are coming out of her are just the silver lining to the incredible smell of her, the moist and amazing taste of her. He won't gloat, not right now, but the fact that he has helped her unravel this way, to become this amazon in front of him, enjoying herself so shamelessly, fills him with pride. Whatever feelings Kate has for him, this is just one of the ways she's found to show him, in the scorching ways her body calls out to him.

Goose bumps cover her skin, and he knows that tell; she's about to come and he wants it to be unbelievable.

"Rick…" Her voice comes strangled. Yeah, she's struggling to keep her mind coherent enough.

"Want…" A moan, a breathy, very breathy moan that ends on a whimper. Her chest heaves so that she's starting to pant, making her breasts follow and he likes the view. "I want you…" A groan as a response at the pressure of his fingers rubbing on her inner wall. "You… in me… when I come." And he had better hurry, because that sound she just made could only be classified as a wail. A mating call… God, she must have been fantasizing so hard about this moment… it makes him want this even more.

He steadies her waist as he rises to join her, his fingers still trapped in her. Her hands push off his pants, desperate, she wants him bad; but he wants control, and his fingers push hard against hers walls, strong pressure to call her attention.

"Kate, look at me," he says, crowding her, pushing her harder into the door. But it plays against him; he can't control the moan that tumbles out of him as his length is trapped between them. He's so hard that he feels like every ounce of energy he has will be spent trying to hold on.

She might want to kill him for real later, there will be bruises, but she's not complaining now and that's all that counts. Her hands are drawing him to her, probably leaving angry marks of her own behind. He manages to get her to open her eyes, which had shut in surprise and ecstasy with his latest ministrations; her pupils are dark and her cheeks red. 'She looks like a doll,' he thinks and smiles at the thought; his very own, and very naughty, doll.

"I need you," she pleads and he reduces the distance between them, stealing her breath, but not touching her lips just yet. He pulls his fingers from her center; a gasp and a whimper follow at the loss of contact.

"You're beautiful, you know?" Her eyes soften just a smidge, a smile brewing on her lips as he takes his fingers to savor her musky flavor, surprising her with his greed for her. But then it's her turn to surprise, diving in and joining; tasting herself on him. He swallows hard, baffled, this woman will be the end of him.

"Fast, I need you now."

And so he does. He's been holding onto the edge, but his arousal is starting to become painful, an exquisite kind of pain. He slides his hand down her backside and under her thigh, lifting her knee to his hip; more goose bumps rise, more sighs and moans of anticipation. He takes himself in his hand and rubs himself shamelessly along her folds, luxuriating in the feel of her wet silk before he enters her; swift, scorching wet heat instantly surrounds him.

He needs a moment; he reminds himself that he needs to breathe when everything starts spinning around him. She's whispering to him, her tongue nibbling his earlobe, coaxing him, cooing at him. "You feel like you're part of my skin," is the last coherent thing that he hears before he starts moving; a frenzy building faster and faster. Her legs hug his waist and her arms brace around him, holding on for dear life as he puts everything he has to try and translate into movement what he can no longer utter in words.

She becomes louder and he quiets her with sloppy kisses, tongues and teeth clashing, claiming the last territories of them. His strokes had begun long and controlled, wanting to prolong the enjoyment, to feel entirely, but it's too much. He can't hold back anymore.

He can't control his own tremor when her quiver comes, exploding in a violent flare of sensation that envelops his senses, making him lose all resolve and come undone. It pushes him off the ledge and he bites the soft skin of her shoulder to avoid shouting the unholy amount of blasphemies that his mind is compelling him to blurt. Every part of him spills deep inside of her, there is no coherency to the feeling, just a blur of sensation.

As he huffs against her moist skin and she untangles herself from him, he struggles to hold onto shaky ground. Spent and sated, he licks and kisses the angry mark that he's left behind, proof of his own inability to control the small earthquake he just experienced. Her fingers caress his temple, sweeping the sweat from his exertions. She kisses him, sweetly, warmly, like only she's learned to do; it slowly brings him back to reality.

When he opens his eyes, she's sporting an enchanting smile that matches her flushed cheeks.

"You know it's a good thing you're not a cop," she says, snickering.

"And why is that?" he says, mildly confused at the offbeat comment.

"Because you don't fear breaking the rules," she explains, trying to straighten his spiky hair, her hands soothing the overheated muscles of his arms. "And that's what makes you so good."

He smiles back at her, stealing one last kiss before she moves to collect their clothes. It's time to step out of this fantasy and back into reality. She dresses in front of him, her movements a mix of inebriated pleasure and seduction as she starts re-dressing him as well.

"Thank you," she says as she buttons his shirt.

"Was it everything you'd always imagined?" he says, smoothing her hair, broad hands stealing caresses and almost revert touches.

"So much better…" she begins as she closes the clasp of his belt. "Before, I had no idea how it felt to be this cherished." He smiles and pulls her in for a kiss, tender, careful. She's read in him every feeling he couldn't ever describe in a book.

"For your pants…" She says reaching behind him and handing him a bottle of Windex. "I hear that this solves everything and even cures the flu." He should never doubt Kate Beckett's ability to pull a joke when he least expects it.

He sprays the stain on his pants and rubs the surface with a paper towel. "What do you know? It does work. Greeks are right after all." She snickers as she adjusts her shirt and checks that there are no telltale signs of their encounter.

"Everything looks… good," he says, reassuring, straightening her collar. "Though to the trained eye, that glow might give you away." He caresses her cheek, sweetly and she grins back at him, eyes filled with radiating light. "You gotta stop being so gorgeous. It's a problem."

"No,_ you_ are the problem," she gives him a quick peck and adjusts his hair. "Let's go."

She takes a deep breath; he tries to hide his grin, trying to sober up, as she opens the door and starts heading out, failing to avoid the body of the uniform standing right outside the closet and stumbling awkwardly.

"Everything OK, Detective Beckett?" Officer Hastings asks as they brace to each other to recover their footing. Beckett tries to respond but she's too startled to utter a plain answer. The officer directs her eyes to Castle, and he could be wrong but he swears he just saw a mischievous glint on the young woman's eyes.

"Hastings! We—" Castle starts.

"You were looking for supplies," Hasting says, nodding, lips pressed on a thin line, her eyes going from Castle to Beckett's mortified face. "Right?"

"Yeah… We had a pasta incident." He says awkwardly pointing at the stain and the bottle of windex.

"Alright then," the woman nods, clearing her throat and looks again at Kate, who's darting her eyes away from them, biting her lip. "I'm just going to go back to my post… Lock up duty today."

She walks away and sits by the desk… just a few steps away.

* * *

**A/N: X-mas love to all of you! Especially to my Castle girls that have transcended fandoms and we continue being an amazing family. I usually thank Ky for how awesome she is, and this smutfest came to be because we kept asking storage room sex after 507... I wrote this to please her always smut hungry brain... but I also want to dedicate this one to my other partner in crime in the vlog world... sooo... I love you hard, Becks!**

**As always, thank you sooo much for your reviews and all the follows, I'm so happy that you guys continue to hang in there!  
**

**So. Let me have it, GIMME YOUR REVIEWS, whatever they are, I love having conversations about my writing or your writing, or anything, I always learn and get so inspired by your stories, Caskett related or not! so I can't wait to hear from you!  
**


End file.
